Good Wednesday afternoon to you ❤

I’m stopping in to share something very important- May is Mental Health Month! If realized this sooner, I would have done my Giveaway May in June so that I could spend all month posting about mental health :) But, humans are entirely capable of doing two things at once so here we are lol.

I wanted to share with you a couple things that Mental Health America is doing this month and keep the conversation on mental health going! MHA is the country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping all Americans live mentally healthier lives through advocacy, public education, and service.

One of the things I thought was really important to share is their partnership with Walgreens for a dedicated mental health “answer center” on its website! This new page will help connect people to MHA’s Online Screening Program— free, scientifically-based online screenings for a number of conditions including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD and others. How awesome is that! I think it’s a great first step for anyone who suspects they may be dealing with a mental health issue. You can find the free screening here: www.walgreens.com/mentalhealth.

In addition, MHA has launched the #mentalillnessfeelslike social media campaign where you are encouraged to share what mental illness looks like for you! I spent about 30 minutes earlier today going through posts and I was so moved. Not only is it helpful to see what others are going through, but it is also encouraging to know that you’re not alone.

Mental illness is so tricky because even though you “know” your brain is lying to you, you still believe it. It’s literally like fighting yourself FOR yourself. To me, mental illness feels like… feeling like I’m too much and not enough all at once.

I will end today by encouraging you to visit the new Walgreens screening page and check out the various #mentalillnessfeelslike galleries on instagram, facebook, twitter, and tumblr. It’s my hope that it will be enlightening to see how mental illness affects everyone differently (and similarly in some cases), to help those suffering with mental illness to feel a sense of community and support, to help bring understanding to commonly misunderstood disorders, and to try and break the stigma associated with mental illness.

I hope you have a pleasant Wednesday evening ❤

-Danni