May is Mental Health Awareness Month! This month is meant to increase understanding and appreciation of how mental health and emotional wellbeing plays an important role in our personal lives, family life, and our communities.
SLN is an organization of siblings of people with all disabilities, which includes IDD, mental health, and chronic health issues. As siblings, we often advocate for our sibs to have social lives, hobbies, and emotional health. At the same time, we also have to care for our own mental wellbeing, given the stresses in our lives as we balance our personal and family lives. Further, SLN wants to be more inclusive and recognize that there are many siblings who care for sibs with mental illness. As part of this effort, we want to make sure our members are aware of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), which is one of the largest grassroots mental health organizations in the country. NAMI has resources for those interested in better understanding their own mental health, for those who are caregivers of loved ones struggling with mental illness, and for those interested in mental health advocacy. Please check out their website here: https://www.nami.org/.
And, as always, please connect with other sibs on social media or via our local chapters. The SLN is committed to supporting the wellbeing of all siblings, whether by promoting policies that improve the lives of siblings or by providing individualized support from those with similar experiences. We are always available and we want to hear from you!
If you or a loved one is in crisis, please call 988, which is the new 3-digit number dedicated to providing assistance for those in mental health crisis. If you are unable to talk on the phone, you can text 988 here: https://988lifeline.org/