May is Mental Health Awareness Month!
The very first time May was declared National Mental Health Awareness Month was in 1949 by Mental Health America, then known as the National Association for Mental Health. It was created to “… educate Americans about mental illness and mental health.” On top of that goal, each year’s campaign is defined by a theme.
Mental Health America (MHA) has announced the theme of 2023’s Mental Health Awareness Month to be, “Look Around, Look Within.” With that in mind, I would like to encourage all of us in the Brave community to contemplate our approach to mental health through this lens.
For me, “Look Around, Look Within” is an echo of Ubuntu, a philosophy that can be interpreted in English to mean, “I am because you are.” I’ve had the quote, “I am because you are” on my desk in my office for years. It is a constant reminder for me not to fall into the trap of self-absorption; it is a reminder that the only way I can be fully realized as a person is when I fully embrace and celebrate each and every other human’s uniqueness and worth.
Of course, that is what we do with This Is My Brave – The Show. When we invite individuals to share their personal stories on our stage we shine a light on their humanity. Our research reveals that Brave audience members tend to “other” people with mental illness and substance use disorders less because of their experience at a Brave show. This is Ubuntu actualized.
So this Mental Health Awareness Month, I invite you to intentionally strive to look around and look within to find connections between yourself and the world around you. We are more similar than different! Our sense of mental wellness will only improve as we recognize our interconnectedness.
If it’s been a while since you have been to a Brave show, you can look around on our youtube page to hear from some of our most recent Brave alumni. And as you listen to their stories, look within to acknowledge the parts of their experience that overlap with yours.
Remember, everyone in this world has a story, and stories have the power to connect and enrich us.
If you’re interested in learning more about the philosophy of Ubuntu, you can read the testimonies of individuals whose worldviews have shifted as a result of their exposure to Ubuntu and the cultures that embrace it.
Erin Gallagher
Executive Director, This Is My Brave
Resources
If you or someone you know needs help, reach out 24/7 to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting 988 or using chat services at suicidepreventionlifeline.org to connect to a trained crisis counselor.
You can also get crisis text support via the Crisis Text Line by texting STORY to 741741.
For additional help, please visit our resource page.
