Mental health awareness is a real thing. Mental health is very dangerous, as well as scary. Mental health is the well-being of our emotions, psych, and our psychological well being. There are many ways someone could be mentally ill. The main three causes are child abuse, neglect and/or general trauma. Psychotherapy mixed with medications are the most effective ways to treat the effects of mental illnesses. Psychotherapy and medications are also the fastest way to treat it. Mental health needs to be treated quickly once it has been diagnosed.

Larned State Hospital does a poster contest to raise awareness about mental health. LSH contacts Mrs. Pontius, the LHS art teacher, and Mrs. Pontius’s art classes make posters to enter into the contest or to hang up around the school. The driving force behind the contest is to spread awareness about mental health awareness and to get students involved. The poster contest involves the high school to promote empathy for the students who may have mental illnesses, and it helps to break stigmas surrounding mental illnesses. Mrs. Pontius has been a teacher at the high school for 7 years, and she asserted that LHS has been involved in the contest for 5 years.

Mrs. Pontius said “I like this contest because I feel like it lets kids know that maybe they aren’t alone or maybe they have people who understand what they are going through.” Mrs. Pontius wishes more people would participate in the poster contest. She said that she used to put up advertisements and provide poster board for people to be able to do it, but they never did. This is a good contest because it lets people know about the struggles of mental health and it provides awareness about the cause and affects behind mental illnesses. This poster contest is a big step forward in raising awareness, and everyone should participate next time around!