Mind Your Mental Health: June is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

June is a time for members of the LGBTQIA+ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and related) to come together to celebrate their identities and assert their rights.

  • Pride Month is an opportunity to raise awareness of current issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community. Be a role model for kindness and inclusion. Don’t tolerate hateful speech.
  • Pride events occur throughout the month of June in communities worldwide, with activities including parades, demonstrations, dance parties, festivals, and community days.
  • Whether you’re a person who lives an LGBTQIA+ lifestyle or you just want to be supportive, this is a great time to
    show appreciation for people who love you just as you are. Beyond just learning definitions, build relationships.
    While it’s important to understand the terminology, the higher priority is to build trusting relationships with LGBTQIA+
    individuals so they feel safe.

 

June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month. Throughout the month, we will be highlighting the importance of speaking openly about mental health. Seventy percent of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives, with up to 20 percent of these going on to develop PTSD.

With your help, we can bring awareness to the prevalence of PTSD and other mental health conditions in our communities. It’s our job to help end the stigma surrounding addictions and mental health by sharing resources and starting conversations. Throughout the month of June, we encourage family, friends, and loved ones to learn more about PTSD. Here are some important facts you should know:

 

Here are some important facts you should know:

  • PTSD affects around 5% of the U.S. population, approximately 13 million Americans, in a given year.
  • Anyone can develop PTSD at any age. This includes combat veterans and people who have experienced or witnessed a physical or sexual assault, abuse, an accident, a disaster, or other serious events.
  • If you or someone you know needs help, please call 9-8-8 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
  • About 6 out of every 100 people (or 6% of the U.S. population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives. Many people who have PTSD will recover and no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD after treatment.
  • 20 percent of people who experience a traumatic event will develop PTSD.
  • About 5 out of every 100 adults (or 5%) in the U.S. has PTSD in any given year. In 2020, about 13 million Americans had PTSD.
  • Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men. About 8 of every 100 women (or 8%) and 4 of every 100 men (or 4%) will have PTSD at some point in their life. This is in part due to the types of traumatic events that women are more likely to experience—such as sexual assault—compared to men.

 

Remember, mental illness does not discriminate. Join us to help bring attention to the importance of sharing mental health stories and help improve the lives of millions of Americans living with mental illness.