Today is #MentalHealthAwarenessDay and I just want to say to anyone who has suffered from a mental illness: you are not alone. your emotions are valid. I will never tell you to just “Get over it.” I will never tell you to just “try harder” or that it’s “all in your head” because guess what? It is in your head. It’s in your brain because it is an illness that stems from a chemical problem in your brain - and that fact does not make you any less of a person. Everyone faces their own obstacles and just because your obstacle doesn’t look exactly like someone else’s doesn’t make it any easier. People react differently to similar situations because guess what? We’re all different. We all adjust differently. We all react differently because none of us are the same. We all grow and heal and move on at different speeds. Just because you’re healing slower than someone else doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. I’m sick and tired of the stigma surrounding mental illness. I’m sick and tired of it not being taken seriously. This is something that needs to be talked about. It needs to be recognized for the serious issue that it is. That’s how we make it better. Not by sweeping it under the rug. By talking about it we let people know they’re not alone and that help is 100% possible and in reach.
If any of you need anything at all, I’m a message away.
And in case of any emergency, here are a few numbers that provide professional services:
National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
Adolescent Suicide Hotline: 800-621-4000
Adolescent Crisis Intervention & Counseling Nineline: 1-800-999-9999
AIDS National Hotline: 1-800-342-2437
CHADD-Children & Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: 1-800-233-4050
Child Abuse Hotline: 800-4-A-CHILD
Cocaine Help Line: 1-800-COCAINE (1-800-262-2463)
Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
Domestic Violence Hotline/Child Abuse:
1-800-4-A-CHILD (800 422 4453)
Drug & Alcohol Treatment Hotline: 800-662-HELP
Ecstasy Addiction: 1-800-468-6933
Eating Disorders Center: 1-888-236-1188
Family Violence Prevention Center: 1-800-313-1310
Gay & Lesbian National Hotline:
1-888-THE-GLNH (1-888-843-4564)
Gay & Lesbian Trevor HelpLine Suicide Prevention: 1-800-850-8078
Healing Woman Foundation (Abuse): 1-800-477-4111
Help Finding a Therapist:
1-800-THERAPIST (1-800-843-7274)
Incest Awareness Foundation:
1-888 -547-3222
Learning Disabilities - (National Center For)
1-888-575-7373
Missing & Exploited Children Hotline
1-800-843-5678
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
Panic Disorder Information Hotline:
800- 64-PANIC
Post Abortion Trauma:
1-800-593-2273
Project Inform HIV/AIDS Treatment Hotline:
800-822-7422
Rape (People Against Rape): 1-800-877-7252
Rape, Abuse, Incest, National Network (RAINN):
1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673)
Runaway Hotline:
800-621-4000
Self-Injury (Information only)
(NOT a crisis line. Info and referrals only)
1-800-DONT CUT (1-800-366-8288)
Sexual Assault Hotline:
1-800-656-4673
Sexual Abuse - Stop It Now!
1-888-PREVENT
STD Hotline: 1-800-227-8922
Suicide & Crisis Hotline:
1-800-999-9999
Suicide Prevention - The Trevor HelpLine
(Specializing in gay and lesbian youth suicide prevention).:
1-800-850-8078
IMAlive-online crisis chat
Teen Helpline: 1-800-400-0900
Victim Center:
1-800-FYI-CALL (1-800-394-2255)
Youth Crisis Hotline: 800-HIT-HOME
