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Seleni’s Mental Health Awareness Month Campaign

When you have a cut, you bandage it. When you break your leg, you mend it. And when you have a cold, you treat it. 

But what do you do when your emotions need similar attention? While emotional and mental health challenges may not be visible, they still require the same level of care. However, stigma often causes undue shame, creates significant barriers to treatment, and can even worsen suffering through being silenced.

That’s why this May, for Mental Health Awareness Month, the Seleni Institute invites you to join us in saying #SoLongStigma! Our goal is to create a stigma-free path for individuals and families to seek the emotional health care they need. To make mental and emotional health visible, we’ve created this campaign. 

The key messages:

  • Stereotypes, labels, and stigma are barriers to improving mental health. It’s time to say #SoLongStigma.
  • Emotional and mental health are just as important as physical health.
  • The definitions of parenthood and family must expand to include real human experiences― not picture-perfect ones.

Maternal mental health challenges we want to highlight:

  • The joys and struggles of parenthood
  • The transformative potential of therapy
  • The commonality and usefulness of pregnancy anxiety and postpartum anxiety
  • Perinatal loss and the stigma around it
  • The high risk and stigma around maternal suicide
 

How you can get involved:

1. Share a photo or video of how you say #SoLongStigma.

Tell us in your own words how you’ve faced and overcome stigma or join the conversation by using one of the examples from our team as inspiration.

  • Check out this Twitter example of kicking stigma to the curb in using the app Boomerang
  • Take a photo and caption it:
 
Caption: Stigma will tear us apart if we let it. Say #SoLongStigma with Seleni Institute.

Caption: Stigma will tear us apart if we let it. Say #SoLongStigma with Seleni Institute.

Caption: Growing up I was taught the wife takes care of the kids, and the man isn’t involved. He just brings in the money. Now I know that my family needs my support in many more ways. #SoLongStigma because this papa wants to be a part of it all.

Caption: Growing up I was taught the wife takes care of the kids, and the man isn’t involved. He just brings in the money. Now I know that my family needs my support in many more ways. #SoLongStigma because this papa wants to be a part of it all.

2. Ask someone on social media to share their thoughts on saying #SoLongStigma.

For example: "How do you say #SoLongStigma? I say #SoLongStigma by supporting pregnant women who choose to work - just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t be brilliant at your job. @SeleniDotOrg"

3. Copy/Paste Seleni suggested posts into your channels.

 
 
Stigma silences and separates. Join me and @SeleniDotOrg in saying #SoLongStigma #SeleniInstitute
 
 
 
When raising a family, it’s hard enough to admit feelings of guilt or anxiety, let alone talk with someone else about it. That’s where @SeleniDotOrg can help #SoLongStigma #SeleniInstitute
 
 
 
I didn’t expect to need the support for (insert example of your own experience when you needed support for i.e. depression, miscarriage, breastfeeding, or other) during what’s supposed to be the happiest time of my life. No one tells you how scary it can be to build a family. @SeleniDotOrg is a resource that I wish I had known about. #SoLongStigma #SeleniInstitute
 
 
 
Parents’ mental health affects the whole family. Thank you @SeleniDotOrg for providing a platform where these issues can be addressed and parents can be supported. #SoLongStigma #SeleniInstitute
 

4. Use the graphic below, retweet or share @Selenidotorg posts during May on  Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

 
 
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