(KNSI) – A walk to raise awareness about mental health will take place in St. Cloud over the weekend.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will hold its 7th annual Mental Health Walk on Saturday around Lake George. Check-in is at 9 AM. There is no charge to talk part in the walk.
NAMI Family Support Group Specialist Cecil Huston says the pandemic has especially hard on people with mental health concerns.
“Mental health issues are more prevalent this year than ever. This past year has been very, very tough on people as far as mental health is concerned. Because if they had a mental illness, previously, usually COVID and all of the things going on with it just made it worse.”
She says that’s why it’s soo important to break down the social barriers that keep people from getting help.
“We try and remove the stigma that so often is associated with mental health problems. People are always, you know, they’re anxious to talk to people if they have cancer or other physical illnesses. But this is a physical illness when you have a mental health issue.”
Huston says mental health is a biological issue, and it’s not something that can be controlled.
She encourages people to get help when they need it because treatments can help people get better.
Huston says one in five Americans suffers from some form of mental illness.
“It’s not just the person you see standing on the street corner talking to themselves and arguing with themselves. It’s everyday people. It’s the people in your neighborhood, your relatives, your friends.”
Register at www.namistcloud.com, or just come to the walk at Lake George on Saturday, May 15. The check-in starts at 9:00 AM, and the walk kicks off at 11:00 AM and ends at 12:30 PM.
The Mental Health Walk will have refreshments, team photos, a silent auction, door prizes, and music.
NAMI is a lobbying and advocacy group on behalf of people and their families who suffer from mental health disorders.
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