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'Ending the Silence' gives voice to mental health
One in five people have a mental health condition, but only half get the treatment they need. Symptoms of chronic mental illness can begin as early as age 14, but it takes on average 8 to 10 years before individuals get a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Imagine a scenario in which that turnaround time is greatly reduced.
It’s possible with the passage of Senate Bill 7026, which requires schools to provide mental health awareness programs and plans to refer students for treatment.
During May, which is Mental Health Month, NAMI Florida and its 26 statewide affiliates, including a location in Lee County, are creating a dialogue around a mental health awareness program called Ending the Silence.
And after Florida's 67 district school superintendents held a mental health summit last week to address student mental health care, there couldn’t be a better time for NAMI Florida to bring this directly to students.
Ending the Silence is a 50-minute presentation offered in middle and high schools taught by a young adult with a lived experience with mental illness and a mental health professional to educate students, teachers, and parents to increase knowledge, change attitudes, and encourage audience members to see the signs and act quickly.
The program was constructed to create a generation of students who are well-positioned to end the silence and stigma surrounding mental illness. Additionally, the program serves as an educational tool for families and school staff to learn about the early warning signs of mental illness and how early recognition and prevention is key to positive outcomes.
Common signs are withdrawal from friends and hobbies, a sudden lack of hygiene, and weight gain or loss which is often chalked up to "typical teen behavior” or ignored due to the stigma of mental illness.
During a recent Ending the Silence presentation to a classroom filled with teenagers, a presenter in recovery from mental illness spoke about her experience living with this disease, the stigma that surrounds it and how she was able to get help. After the presentation, a boy slipped a note to the presenter. It read, "Thank you for being here today. This morning, I decided that I wanted to take my own life. But after hearing your personal story, I think I'm going to hang on just a little bit longer." The school was able to locate the young boy and get him help.
Stigma around mental illness creates feelings of shame and fear that prevents many people from seeking help and treatment. Ending the Silence seeks to change attitudes around mental illness, and our research shows it works.
Very few schools across the state know about our Ending the Silence presentation, which is offered to middle and high schools at no change. We’re engaged in a campaign to publicize and promote Ending the Silence to Florida schools. Join NAMI Florida in celebrating Mental Health Month by talking with anyone you know about the importance of mental health, and help us reach our goal of $20,000 to bring the Ending the Silence to schools statewide by donating today.
Alisa LaPolt is the executive director of NAMI Florida, the state affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness with headquarters in Tallahassee, Florida. NAMI Florida’s 26 affiliates, including a location in Fort Myers, provide awareness programs, support groups, classes, and advocacy for individuals with mental illnesses and their loved ones.