Honoring those who struggle with mental disorders, crowdfunding platform Crowdrise celebrated World Mental Day 2015 this week.
The Crowdrise team shared:
“Thousands of people with mental health conditions around the world are deprived of their human rights. They are not only discriminated against, stigmatized and marginalized but are also subject to emotional and physical abuse in both mental health facilities and the community. Poor quality care due to a lack of qualified health professionals and dilapidated facilities leads to further violations. The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day, observed on 10 October, is Dignity in mental health.
“This year, WHO will be raising awareness of what can be done to ensure that people with mental health conditions can continue to live with dignity, through human rights-oriented policy and law, training of health professionals, respect for informed consent to treatment, inclusion in decision-making processes, and public information campaigns.”
Acknowledging those who have constantly showed support, Crowdrise explained:
“Organizations like Give an Hour, who aims to develop national networks of volunteers capable of responding to both acute and chronic conditions that arise within our society, beginning with the mental health needs of those who serve and their families.
“With nearly 3 million American men and women deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11, mental health is a huge concern in the community. And we know that one of the major barriers preventing them from seeking appropriate treatment is stigma.
“As Give an Hour says, ‘many fear that seeking mental health services will jeopardize their career or standing. Others are reluctant to expose their vulnerabilities to providers who are often military personnel themselves, given the military culture’s emphasis on strength, confidence, and bravery. By providing services that are separate from the military establishment, we offer an essential option for men and women who might otherwise fail to seek or receive appropriate services. We are also offering services to parents, siblings, and unmarried partners who are not entitled to receive mental health benefits through the military.’
“Another group that is doing great work is Mental Health Advocacy Services (MHAS), a nonprofit organization protecting and advancing the legal rights of people with mental disabilities. They are currently leveraging the CrowdRise platform to raise funds for their Annual Celebration. They are at 58% of their goal of $150,000, of which all proceeds will support their ongoing provision of free legal services to low-income individuals and families in their community.”
In regards to those who are currently struggling with suicidal thoughts, Crowdrise noted a few campaigns that show support and love:
“There’s also a team running the 2016 Boston Marathon under the banner of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. They’re using CrowdRise to raise $75,000 for the AFSP, who seeks to understand and prevent suicide through research, education, and advocacy. With a suicide in the United States happening every 12.8 minutes, and suicide being the 10th leading cause of death in America, organizations like the AFSP are providing an invaluable public service.
“As you can see, there are plenty of groups and individuals out there fighting to make a difference around mental health every day – and helping deliver their products with dignity. And whether it’s a global awareness day or someone who wants to run 26.2 miles to help stop just one more suicide, any positive action around these problems is just that: positive action around a problem. And that’s what the community at CrowdRise is all about.”