This is my 5th consecutive year at #AtoZChallenge, what I love the most here is the sharing of knowledge and creation of quality intellectual property.
My previous themes have been:
2016- Life Lessons
2017- My favorite Writers
This time I have chosen MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS as my theme.
Though May is the month for mental health awareness, I thought April would be a good time to talk about it and at a widespread global platform like A to Z Challenge.
Mental Health is one of the four pillars of health and in our part of the world still riddled with deep stigma, taboo and lack of awareness.
Being a depression survivor myself and also an Oesteoid Oesteoma and Fibromyalgia survivor,both Chronic Invisible Illnesses that have huge mental heath implications, I think it is time we start building safe and non-judgmental spaces in India to talk about mental health.
I think it was only appropriate that I use my blog and the platform of #AtoZ to speak about mental health and contribute in my own small way towards awareness.
In 2015 a study conducted by the Word Health Organization indicated that one in five Indians may suffer from depression in their lifetime, equivalent to 200 million people.
Due to the stigma associated with mental illness, a lack of awareness, and limited access to professional help, only 10-12% of these sufferers will seek help.There is a huge need to sensitize and educate people about the signs and symptoms of mental illness and normalize the idea of seeking support for themselves and their loved ones.
You can sign up here for the A to Z Challenge if you are a blogger.
Or you can bookmark this blog as a reader to be my companion on this journey!
