Dear America:
It’s time to speak up for mental health.
For many, it is impossible to think about mental health in America without thinking in terms of tragedy: police confrontations, heartbreaking suicides, mass shootings.
While this is the picture many see, this is not the true picture of mental health in America. The vast majority of people who suffer from a mental health condition are not violent, and most violent acts are committed by people who are not living with a mental health condition.
Behind the alarming headlines, what you’ll find is a tragic, yet mostly unrecognized crisis: a broken and underfunded mental health system and a society that has historically been afraid to talk about mental health in a meaningful way. Too often, and for too long, the people in our lives—our friends, relatives, fellow service members, parishioners and colleagues—struggle in silence, afraid to speak up for fear that we will turn away.
It’s time for that to change—the momentum around Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health can be an impetus and a vehicle for that change. Be Vocal is a partnership between Demi Lovato, a singer/songwriter living well with bipolar disorder; five mental health groups (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, The JED Foundation, Mental Health America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the National Council for Behavioral Health), and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. The goal of our initiative is to provide the tools to speak up and spark change in our lives and in their communities.
Be Vocal has brought together some of the best and the brightest in the mental health community, including passionate advocates and mental health professionals who know firsthand why change is needed. Yet, we all need to be involved to make a difference.
We are calling on all Americans to take action for mental health. Here are just a few of the ways—large or small— to get involved: Learn the warning signs that indicate a friend, colleague or classmate may be suffering; find out about the key legislative topics in motion today and take part in a fundraiser or sign a petition in support of early intervention. Many more ways to get involved can be found on BeVocalSpeakUp.com.
Even the smallest actions can create a ripple effect beyond anything you could imagine. You never know when the action you take could impact someone at just the right time.
By simply speaking up instead of remaining silent, we can do so much.
Join us by being vocal for yourself, your family, your friends and our society. Together, we can advance mental health in America.
Sincerely,
The Be Vocal: Speak up For Mental Health partners
