May – A Huge Awareness month
May is a huge awareness month. I’ve written about arthritis, an important topic for me, but there are also many other important illnesses we should also be talking about.
ALS
is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that is 100% fatal. You can help change the facts.
(From alsa.org) ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. “A” means no. “Myo” refers to muscle, and “Trophic” means nourishment – “No muscle nourishment.” When a muscle has no nourishment, it “atrophies” or wastes away. “Lateral” identifies the areas in a person’s spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As this area degenerates, it leads to scarring or hardening (“sclerosis”) in the region.
To read all about ALS, please see http://www.alsa.org/about-als/what-is-als.html
You may donate to the ALS Association,1275 K Street, NW Suite 250; Washington, DC 20005 – see ALSA.org
Borderline Personality Disorder
In May of 2007, the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEABPD) organized hearings before congress to educate legislators about Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). A year later, in April 2008 the U.S. House of Representatives declared May as Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month. *1 –https://evolvetreatment.com/blog/may-is-borderline-personality-disorder-awareness-month/
Five Quick BPD Facts
- Over 14 million Americans suffer from BPD.
- More people have BPD than schizophrenia and bipolar disorder combined.
- People with BPD commit suicide at 400 times the rate of the general population
- BPD is more common in women than in men.
- BPD is the 3rd leading cause of death for young adult women between 15-24.
5.9% of the adult population has BPD, they commit suicide at an alarming rate, and women are especially vulnerable to the disorder. That’s why we have Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month. To raise awareness and awareness, end the stigma around the condition, and encourage people to get the help they need.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) BPD is:
“A mental illness marked by a pattern of varying moods, self-image, and behavior. These symptoms often result in impulsive actions and problems in relationships. People with BPD may experience intense episodes of anger, depression, and anxiety that can last from a few hours to days.”
Mental Health –
a great website for this is https://www.mhanational.org/mental-health-month. This website is chock full of great information! As a member of a family who knows the importance of observing mental health month, I urge you to learn as much as you can. Another partner, NIMH, has offered up some additional informative websites
- Women’s Mental Health 101: Statistics, Symptoms & Resources created by Regis College:
https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/womens-mental-health/ - The Impact of Work Addiction on Family Life and Mental Health created by the University of Nevada, Reno:
https://onlinedegrees.unr.edu/blog/the-impact-of-work-addiction-on-family-life-and-mental-health - Childhood Trauma & Mental Health: Definition, Signs, & Resources created by the University of Nevada, Reno:
https://onlinedegrees.unr.edu/online-master-of-social-work/childhood-trauma-and-mental-health/
They mailed out over 100 proclamation packets to individuals and support groups across the U.S. with suggestions on how to approach political leaders about the importance of creating awareness for this virtually unknown illness. That first year, Lynne was able to get the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to officially proclaim May 12th as Fibromyalgia Awareness Day (L.A. County includes 88 cities). Approximately 25 other jurisdictions across the country did the same.
The next year, about 150 proclamations were done. In the first 5 years of Awareness Days, there were over 2,000 proclamations in cities, counties, states, the U.S. Senate, Congress, and even at the White House, thus officially making May 12th National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. The trend continues to this day and many thousands of Awareness Day proclamations have been made all over the world. That means that each of the entities that have proclaimed an official Fibromyalgia Awareness Day recognizes that FM is a legitimate life-altering illness, and they support the under-served population of people living with it by calling for more research and new treatments to help improve their quality of life.
May 12th is a day to remember how far we have come, from the days when almost no one had even heard the word “fibromyalgia,” to today when almost everyone has heard of it and knows someone who lives it. It is also a day to celebrate yourself for the fibro warrior you are, or the fibro warriors you support. You are part of this thriving community that was one of the first truly disruptive organizations to make a difference in how the world treats people in pain.
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