This May, in support of Mental Health Awareness Month, partners across the County are joining forces to launch the #StigmaFreeSD campaign.

#StigmaFreeSD urges residents to talk openly about mental health and advocate that the stigma often associated with mental health conditions be replaced by hope, understanding, and support for recovery. The campaign aims to promote a stigma-free San Diego County that embraces more open, positive dialogue around mental illness and mental health.

There are two easy ways to participate:

• Take a photo with the hashtag #StigmaFreeSD displayed within your image and share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.  Be as creative as you would like!
• Complete the following sentence and post it to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: "It's up to us to stop the stigma around mental illness because..._____. #StigmaFreeSD #Up2SD #LiveWellSD"

The stigma associated with mental health conditions and the fear of judgment by one’s peers can cause disruption in a person’s life and relationships, deter individuals from seeking help, and may negatively compound the condition(s) they may already be trying to cope with. The main goal of the #StigmaFreeSD campaign is to utilize the platform of social media (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) to foster constructive conversations around mental health conditions, reduce associated stigma, and inform and connect San Diegans to local resources available in the region such as the San Diego Access & Crisis Line and It’s Up to Us resources.

Join the movement and be a part of this local conversation! If you or your organization is on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter, we encourage you to post, share, and invite others to be involved along with you!