I Don’t Mind: Promoting Communication About Mental Illness

Posted by IDONTMIND | @idontmind

IDONTMIND. This is the phrase that quickly took over social media within the last few weeks. But what’s it all about? With the slogan “Your mind matters. Talk about it,” the campaign promotes openness about issues surrounding mental health. VALLEY is all about open communication, so we thought it was time to spotlight the progress of this campaign so far.

Chris Wood, who is best known for his various roles on the CW (Carrie Diaries, The Vampire Diaries, and Supergirl) is the mind behind turning the few words IDONTMIND into a full blown movement. The actor originally launched the effort during mental illness awareness week. The hashtag currently has 90,599 posts on Instagram, some of which are by Wood’s fellow celebrities. They began using the hashtag to attract more attention to the campaign and told accounts from their own lives about their personal struggles with mental health, with the purpose of being relatable to fans and anyone struggling with mental illness of any kind.

Melissa Benoist, best known for her roles on Glee and Supergirl, discussed her struggle with depression and anxiety attacks. She emphasized relationships with others being the biggest help and posted, “Let’s support each other in talking about it and wearing the shirt this #mentalillnessawarenessweek with @idontmind.” Chyler Leigh, known for her roles on Grey’s Anatomy and Supergirl, also posted to Instagram in support of the movement. The actress has a history of being open to talking about her personal experience with mental illness, but the post discussing I Don’t Mind included her journey to self acceptance, which was incredibly personal.

IDONTMIND was designed to defeat the negative stigma that has surrounded mental illness for years. It’s objective is to open the conversation about mental health around the world. This means open dialogue with others, leaning on friends and family when you are in need, and raising awareness altogether. The official website includes a social media toolkit, along with merchandise for people who want to join the movement. One of the best parts? All of the proceeds from the certain merchandise goes to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) The website also provides users with facts about different mental illnesses, public policy information, and even different treatment plans like clinical trials and research.

It isn’t every day that movements realize the complexities of mental illness and the negative stigmas that go along with it, so VALLEY is thrilled that this campaign is receiving attention, but wants to give it more!

Click here to take part in this unique campaign in support of open communication about mental illness.