May is coming to a close, and with it so too is the end of Mental Health Awareness month. So what does this have to do with the NBA and the Minnesota Timberwolves? More than you may realize.
Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Josh Okogie is a spokesman for Mental Health Awareness, and the need for awareness permeates all walks of life. Mental Health is not about being happy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Nor is it about institutionalizing persons who are a danger to themselves or society.
The key to solving the challenges of mental health is connecting with friends, family, and other individuals and talking about mental health in a positive light. Many of us suffer silently, fearful that sharing will diminish how others see us. But the need to find help is never greater than when you wish to be secluded. And with challenges caused by COVID-19 and self-quarantining, the need to connect has never been greater.
As we close out #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth hear from @CallMe_NonStop on the importance of Mental Health and what it means to him 💙💚 pic.twitter.com/NnnMvQ8zy9
— Timberwolves & Lynx Community Impact (@WolvesLynxCI) May 31, 2022
Check out this video by Josh Okogie below:
Mental Health Awareness is simply the effort by health care professionals to remove the negative stigma associated with seeking help.
Here are some facts from the Mental Health Facts for May website:
Mental illness affects millions of Americans each year. In 2019, more than 51 million people were affected by mental illness.
Did you know that 20 percent of adults and 17 percent of our youth suffer from mental illness each year?
Of those affected, only 45 percent of adults and 51 percent of children who are impacted by a mental illness ever receive treatment.
What is the most common mental illness? Anxiety disorders affect more than 19 percent of the adult population in the United States each year.
Don’t suffer in silence. Don’t diminish the need of those who are suffering to seek professional help. This is a problem that may be impacting someone you love and you may not even know it. Reach out to those you care about and let them know that you are there for them. Then, most of all, be there for them.
You may help someone you care about more than you realize. Get informed.