What Is Mental Health Awareness Month — and Why It Matters
— By Brian Mears, DNAP, APRN, CRNA, PMHNP-BC
Because mental health is health.
Every May, we pause to recognize Mental Health Awareness Month — not just as a calendar event, but as a national movement to elevate the conversation around mental wellness.
This month is about more than facts and statistics. It’s about real people — individuals, families, communities — facing struggles that aren’t always visible. It’s a reminder that behind every smile, there may be a silent battle. And behind every breakthrough, a story of courage.
At Alleviant, we believe that awareness is the beginning — but action, empathy, and innovation are what truly create change.
Mental Health: A Vital Part of Every Life
Mental health isn’t just about having a diagnosis like anxiety or depression. It’s about your:
Emotional resilience
Capacity for joy and connection
Ability to handle stress, adapt to change, and live with purpose
Brain function and clarity
Sleep, energy, focus, and mood
When these systems are off, life can feel heavy, chaotic, or out of control — even if everything “looks fine” from the outside.
Why This Month Is So Important
Let’s look at the numbers:
1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience mental illness each year¹
1 in 6 youth aged 6–17 experience a mental health disorder annually
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10–34
The average delay between symptom onset and treatment is 11 years
Over 50% of adults with mental illness receive no treatment at all
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
What’s Getting in the Way?
Many people avoid getting help because they:
Feel ashamed or weak
Don’t want to be labeled
Think their symptoms “aren’t bad enough”
Had a bad experience with traditional psychiatry
Don’t know where to start
That’s why we need more than awareness. We need a new model of care — one that’s compassionate, personalized, and rooted in science.
How Alleviant Is Changing the Mental Health Conversation
At Alleviant, we practice Objective Psychiatry — a brain-first approach that uses tools like spectral EEG (sEEG) to visualize brain function and guide treatment.
We don’t guess. We map.
Our comprehensive, whole-person care includes:
sEEG brain scans to see how the brain is functioning
NeuroSync™ — our personalized stimulation protocol that helps optimize and synchronize neuronal activity
Medication management — guided by genetic testing, when needed
Therapy and counseling — for emotional processing and behavioral change
Health coaching — to address sleep, nutrition, toxins, and deficiencies
Spiritual support — when requested, to align healing with faith and purpose
This Month, Let’s Normalize the Conversation
Talk openly about your struggles — and listen without judgment
Ask for help — and encourage others to do the same
Share accurate, hopeful information — not fear
Prioritize your brain health the way you would your heart or lungs
Remind yourself: there is no shame in needing help — only strength in seeking it
Your Mental Health Deserves Attention Every Month
But this May, let it be the month you start.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign, this is it. You are not alone. You are not broken. And you are not beyond healing.
Reference
¹ National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 2023 Statistics