May is Mental Health Month and the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center has an array of activities that highlight the importance of taking care of your mental health.

The agency reminds the community to take care of their mind. May is Mental Health Month, and the agency invites everyone to participate in the numerous activities to celebrate. The month was kicked off with a virtual proclamation signing on the Governor's Facebook page. Governor Lou Leon Guerrero.

"Many of the effects of this extended public health emergency including food insufficiency, financial concerns, and loneliness were associated with the increased reporting of anxiety symptoms or suicidal ideation," she announced. On Wednesday, the GHWC will have a callout for an art competition open to anyone up to 18 years old.

Director Therese Arriola said, "We encourage our families to encourage your children to express themselves through the arts."

On Friday, May 7, Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, there will be a kite festival at Adelup at 3pm. "It's a green kite festival," Arriola explaied. "You come, you fly a kite, social distance. We've invited food trucks."

May 15th will be the Guam Behavior Health Fair at the Agana Shopping Center, and May 22nd, is the virtual 2k/5k. May 29th will be the wellness light festival at Adelup, there will be food trucks as well as short films in the theme of mental health. On May 12th, Families will be able to gather for lunch at the GBHWC prevention office for lunch hour with peace.

"Our theme this year...is Seeing Through Stigma, and it's really something that's so appropriate through all we've gone through as a community," Arriola noted.

Seeing that the volume of calls to their crisis hotline has tripled since the onset of the pandemic, Arriola says it's very evident that that theme is only appropriate, as more people are seeking help.

Before the pandemic, calls on average ranged between 25-30 calls a month, that number has since jumped to a staggering 550.

"If you don't have your mental health taken care of, we can't approach life, and life is beautiful when everything is balanced," the director said.

For anyone in need of counseling services, the 24/7 crisis hotline is 647-8833.