A Year in Photo - Day 142

This week was Mental Illness Awareness Week, and today is Mental Health Day. As most of you know by now, I have Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Seasonal Affective Disorder, so this is a very important day for me.

We have come a long way with mental illness but we have a long way to go; the treatment of the mentally ill, the programs and services that are available, or lack there of, financial support, stigma, support in the workplace and oh so much more.

So let's GET LOUD because too many people suffer in silence, which is heartbreaking to me. I challenge you all to take the pledge to GET LOUD, http://getloud.mentalhealthweek.ca/, to bring awareness to mental illness and to everyone who's been diagnosed with it or affected by it. 

1 in 5 Canadians experience mental illness yet the stigma about what a mentally ill person looks like continues to perpetuate the stigma, and that's a problem. I took this photo straight out of bed, no makeup etc., do I look like someone with mental illness? I don't know, but what I do know is mental illness doesn't have a look. 

The face of mental illness is not what the stereotype dictates....if you are comfortable, post your photo in the comments or email it to me (Chelsey_99_@hotmail.com) and I will create a collage of our faces, the faces of mental illness.

Depression is not selfish.
Anxiety is not rude.
Schizophrenia is not wrong.

Mental Illness isn't self-centered,
any more than a broken leg
or the flu is self-centered.

If your mental illness makes you
feel guilty, review the definition
of "illness" and try to treat yourself
with the same respect and concern
you would show to a cancer patient
or a person with pneumonia.
-Unknown

#ayearinphoto #MIAW #WMHD #getloud #mentalillness #mentalhealth #mentalillnessday #wakeupoliticians #cmha #cmhakelowna #stigma #stereotypes #noshame #faceofmentalillness