Emily’s Hike for Mental Health
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Goal: $300.00
$3,585.00 donated
Let’s talk about mental health! This year I will be participating in my third HIKE for Mental Health up Mount Washington. HIKE for Mental Health is a nonprofit organization working to increase awareness about mental illness and raise money towards mental health resources and wilderness trails. A lot of my close friends and family know my story with mental illness. I believe the first step in reducing the stigma around mental illness is actually talking about it. For quite a few years I have been living with depression and anxiety. During my junior year of high school, I hit a bit of a breaking point and I had to spend some time at an inpatient facility while I got the help I needed. I am very lucky to have such an amazing support system who will be joining me on this hike for our third year in a row! Please consider donating to my page or joining us for the hike!
When we are sick with the common cold or a stomach bug it is usually pretty easy to tell others that we are feeling a little under the weather. It is easy for others to sympathize because it is a visible, physical illness. I want to make something very clear: MENTAL ILLNESS IS PHYSICAL ILLNESS. Did you know that physical health has been shown to have a direct correlation on mental health and vice versa?
Some facts about mental health in America:
- 1 in 4 adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder
- Severe mental illness increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer
- Poor mental health can lead to fatigue, lack of concentration, changes in sleeping patterns, headaches, changes in appetite, and stomach aches
How you can start helping today to end the stigma:
- TALK ABOUT IT! Don’t be afraid to ask someone if they are doing okay if you are worried about them! Speaking up about how you are feeling can be really scary, especially if you are not sure what you are feeling. Sometimes it is a lot easier for someone to open up if they don’t have to start the conversation. If you are not sure about what to say to someone or you do not understand what they are feeling, ASK.
You can start ending the stigma around mental health by simply changing the way you talk about it and working on how you think about it. Here are a couple of things to stop saying and why:
- Phrases like “oh my gosh this assignment is so hard I’m gonna kill myself” –just say the assignment is hard because adding that last part is harmful to those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts. I once met someone who told a friend in class “I’m going to kill myself” and the friend responded, “me too this essay is the worst!” Except they were not joking. They survived, but if we hadn’t desensitized ourselves to that phrase it could have been avoided.
- When you see something sad on your social media feed don’t say “that was so sad I’m like so depressed right now.” That is not depression, that is just an emotion you are feeling that will pass. If you continue to feel sad for an extended period of time (and I mean more than just a bad week), tell someone.
- Stop saying you have OCD just because you like to organize some stuff. OCD is a serious mental health disorder and not something that should be talked about lightly.
- You may feel anxious about something, but that doesn’t mean you have anxiety. Anxiety is debilitating and real, stop making it seem less than what it is.
- Getting scared by something is not the same as having a panic attack. Panic attacks do not need to be triggered by something scary, they can come out of nowhere and can last anywhere from a few minutes to a half-hour.
Well, how do I talk to someone if I think they are struggling?
DO:
- Let them talk as much as they need to
- Actively listen to them: acknowledge what they are saying and feeling
- Offer to help them find help
- Use open-ended questions
- Validate their feelings
- Remind them that they are not alone
- https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/supporting-someone-mental-health-problem
DON’T:
- Cut them off
- Tell them you know how they are feeling
- Try to diagnose them
- Tell them how they should or shouldn’t be feeling
- “It could be worse” or “look on the bright side”
- https://www.aruma.com.au/about-us/blog/10-things-not-to-say-to-someone-with-a-mental-illness/
Thank you for your donations!
1 in 4 families is affected by mental illness.
HIKE for Mental Health is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded on the vision of a world in which everyone, including those who suffer mental illness, can find the simple joy of living.
Our mission is to alleviate the suffering of those afflicted by mental illness, eliminate the associated stigma, and foster responsible use of wilderness trails.
As an all-volunteer organization, we distribute 100% of contributions raised by our hikes.
- 80% funds scientific research to understand and treat mental illness
- 20% conserves national wilderness trails
Your donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by the IRS. Thank you for your support.
To learn more, visit hikeformentalhealth.org.
To join a hike click here.
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