What is your level of understanding when it comes to mental health? Well, I can say that my knowledge on this serious topic was practically non-existent until I was about 20 years old, because it is something that is not discussed in my hispanic household. I can even go as far as to say that this topic is frowned upon among the older members of my family such as parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. Unfortunately, I have lost friends and family members due to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and eating disorders. As a result, I began to increase my knowledge on mental health by reading articles and books, attending lectures, watching youtube videos, and even speaking with experts on this particular topic.
This past Saturday on May 3, 2025 I attended a Mental Health Workshop in Riverside, California. The workshop was held in the Magnolia Presbyterian Church at 7200 Magnolia Avenue. Presentations were given by Robin Smith, who is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and specializes in helping people with depression, ADHD, anxiety, and many other illnesses, and Brenda Scott, who is an Executive Director of NAMI Mt. San Jacinto.
Mental health is still considered a taboo subject in many communities and cultures. Why? Some of the reasons may be that people are afraid of judgment, lack of education, and in my case cultural norms and beliefs. The consequences of mental health being stigmatized are individuals delaying looking for help, isolating themselves, suffering, and even death. Therefore, it is important for everyone to begin educating themselves on mental health. For instance, I learned a few things during this workshop. The first thing that I learned was that 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24. Also, I learned that suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-14. Finally, I learned that 1 in 20 US adults experience serious mental illnesses each year. These three facts really stuck with me due to my personal experiences, but the workshop was full of more refreshing information about mental health.
At the end of the presentations I was able to speak to a wonderful lady that attended the workshop. As requested, her name will not be mentioned in the article. I asked her about her thoughts on the workshop and if it was her first time attending these types of events.
She replied, “No, it is not the first time I attend a mental health workshop. I believe that this has been my best experience, because the presentations provided me with new information on mental health. I learned so much.”
I also asked her about her thoughts on the topic of mental health in general.
She stated, “Mental health is important. A lot of people try to downplay it and it is so frustrating when they do so. I will encourage people to learn as much as they can on this topic, because they never know how many lives they can save.”
All in all, my experience attending this event was wonderful and refreshing due to the fact that I learned a lot about mental health. I encourage you to learn more about mental health. Do not make the same mistake that I did and wait until a tragedy occurs in your life for you to realize how important this topic is. Read articles, watch videos online, and attend workshops to increase your knowledge. The information is easily accessible, therefore there are not really excuses for you to not know anything about mental health. The mind is such a beautiful and powerful thing, but it can also be very dangerous so let’s start taking care of ourselves.