Tiffany Crystal's Forecast for the day:

This is the last week of Mental Health Awareness month, but unfortunately, the suffering for those with mental illnesses continues, as does the stigma, which arguably, does the most harm. Did you know 1 in 5 Americans will suffer from a mental illness in any given year? I know, thanks to Nikki’s efforts last year in opening up about her own struggles. The truly heartbreaking thing about this, is the knowledge that those “1 in 5” aren’t getting the help they need, and it’s only partly because the help isn’t there. The other part is the stigma. It stands to reason that, if we reduce the stigma, we might be able to increase the odds of a person getting help, and making that person’s life so much easier. I don’t know about you all, but it’s worth it to me.

Now, onto the main event. The final song for this month is by an Irish singer, Rosie Carney. I had never heard of her before this year, but apparently she is very open with her own struggles. Her calls for reducing the stigma surrounding mental illnesses is also echoed in her song, “Awake Me.”

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

SAMHSA: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)