The Ohio Opioid Education Alliance is joining agencies across the U.S. to recognize the month of May as Mental Health Awareness Month. 

Mental illness affects one out of five Americans in a given year, and that number continues to rise. One of the many challenges of having a mental illness is the stigma society places on such conditions.

Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine has supported the "Beat the Stigma" campaign since its announcement in November of 2021.

"Substance use disorder and mental health issues aren't character flaws. They're diseases for which people deserve treatment and support on a path to long-term recovery," DeWine said.

The "Beat the Stigma" campaign was launched by the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance in collaboration with RecoveryOhio. It works to help Ohioans better understand that mental illnesses are complex diseases, partly the result of genetics and other factors largely out of a person's control.

Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services says that many mental illness cases are undertreated or not treated at all, but Mental Health Awareness Month is a way to empower people to seek the help they need.