Its about something way more important than buying a book for $5.99. The charity we chose to support, the Montrose Center, does more than just counsel LGBT community members struggling with mental health issues. It offers many programs and resources to LGBT community members and their families to support mental and emotional fitness. This is something I wish was available to more communities and something I believe could positively change the world.
In Ben Franklin's words, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound is worth a pound of cure. As a member of the American Psychological Association, I have witnessed a horde of mental health care professionals stressing this point over two decades to nearly no avail. One in five of the adults you know are hiding and struggling with an untreated mental illness.
Granted there are a lot of reasons for that including the stigma associated with the word illness. Please note that illness does not dictate chronic disease or a personal defect. For example, the flu is an illness, and depression is the flu of mental illnesses. They are preventable. The bottom line remains that too few people get help hefting a pound of cure, so that ounce of prevention goes almost completely unseen and unfunded.
If you want to change the world, promoting positive psychology and mental illness prevention is a dang good way to make a whole lot of difference for very little effort.
At least that's what I think. Even though penning a short story for a charity book isn't a whole lot, I rest easy in knowing I made a difference by supporting the availability of mental illness prevention in a community. It's about more than a book, and that is why it is appropriate that the books is title "It's in Her Kiss." So much happiness and health is in a kiss.
Regardless of your politics, we hope we've made it is easy for you to elect a simple way to do good this month.
Do it to show your support for Mental Health Awareness Month. Do it to show that social, emotional, and mental lives of LGBT families and minorities of all kinds are important. Do it in honor of Memorial Day, because so many who serve do so at a great price to their own mental health to give you the freedom to pursue your health and happiness.
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