Mental Health Awareness Month has taken place in May every year since 1949 to bring attention to mental health and to celebrate the recovery from mental illness. This year, many are focusing on #breakingthestigma associated with mental health. To do so, people are sharing their stories with others to show no one is alone and to find ways people can get the help they need.

Stigma is when one views someone with a mental illness in a negative way, solely because of the condition of their mental health. To make sure you don’t participate in the stigma around mental health, you can talk openly about mental health showing others it’s nothing to be ashamed of and many people share the feeling. Educating yourself (and others) helps people know when they are partaking in the stigma and realize they could be hurting someone around them.

Every year, various organizations launch campaigns to bring attention to Mental Health Month and breaking the stigma. An Iowa organization has created websites, social media pages, and even hashtags encouraging individuals to seek help and learn more about mental illness.

While in Kentucky, a Walk and Talk event was created to break barriers on non-diagnosed mental illness. This May, make sure you educate yourself and others on breaking the stigma to change how mental health is viewed all over the world.