Whether you love or loathe social media and memes, you can’t deny that they can be very powerful. When used for good, they can raise awareness about important issues—like mental health, something that's relevant in all of our lives.

That’s where ‘How Mental’ comes in. It’s a charity, app, and social media project that touches on important mental health issues with the help of memes, webcomics, and witty videos. We’ve collected some of the top images from their Instagram account to remind everyone that self-care should always be a priority. Scroll down for some truly relatable memes.

More info: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | HowMental.com | App

#1

Image credits: howmental

#2

Image credits: howmental

#3

Image credits: howmental

Depression and anxiety are very common in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, around 21 million American adults have had at least one major depressive episode in their lives. That’s 8.3% of all adults in the country. Meanwhile, over 40 million (nearly 1 in 5) adults in the US have an anxiety disorder.

#4

Image credits: howmental

#5

Image credits: howmental

#6

Image credits: howmental

‘How Mental’ is a project that’s dedicated to promoting mental health. “We are proud to call ourselves mental health advocates,” the team behind the project writes on Facebook.

“There is no limit to the possibilities of things we can do to improve the world’s mental health & wellbeing,” they share on their website.

#7

Image credits: howmental

#8

Image credits: howmental

#9

Image credits: howmental

The project has 783k followers on Instagram, 1.5k on Twitter, and 8.4k on Facebook. ‘How Mental’ combines important social questions—taking care of one’s mental health—and spreads the word about it with the help of memes and spot-on social media posts. Many of them are very relatable.

#10

Image credits: howmental

#11

Image credits: howmental

#12

Image credits: howmental

Burnout, chronic exhaustion, depression, anxiety, phobias—these are issues that many people deal with in their lives. And though awareness of mental health issues is definitely increasing these days, for some people, it’s still a taboo topic. Opening up about struggles, going to therapy, and talking about self-care is still something that some folks avoid doing because they see it as a sign of ‘weakness.’

#13

Image credits: howmental

#14

Image credits: howmental

#15

Image credits: howmental

It’s because the topic is still taboo for some that projects like ‘How Mental’ are so important. They bring the discussion about mental health to people’s social media feeds. They also add a comedic but relatable twist when they choose to tackle these issues in the form of memes. That way, the message ends up reaching more people.

#16

Image credits: howmental

#17

Image credits: howmental

#18

Image credits: howmental

Therapy should not be seen as something taboo or shameful. It’s important to recognize that seeking a mental health professional’s advice is not a sign that you’re ‘weak.’ Everyone, no matter how tough they are, needs support from time to time. As we’ve covered on Bored Panda recently, for instance, people with phobias need to reach out to a mental health professional if their fear becomes so intense that it causes anxiety and panic attacks.

#19

Image credits: howmental

#20

Image credits: howmental

#21

Image credits: howmental

Professionals who specialize in anxiety disorders, for example, can offer a wide range of treatments for their patients, whether that’s cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, or even medication. The important thing here is to recognize that these professionals will not judge you for your struggles: they have a lot of experience, they’ve seen it all, and they’ll be very empathetic.

#22

Image credits: howmental

#23

Image credits: howmental

#24

Image credits: howmental

However, at the same time, it’s pretty critical to understand that not every therapist is going to be a good fit for every patient, and vice versa. Sometimes, their personalities or backgrounds simply aren’t a good match. That’s why patients should never feel guilty about asking to see another specialist if they feel like their needs aren’t being met.

#25

Image credits: howmental

#26

Image credits: howmental

#27

Image credits: howmental

Of course, this doesn’t mean that a therapist should mollycoddle their patients. A huge part of their jobs is helping others see their lives from different perspectives. This involves looking at both subtle and harsh truths, as well as dealing with lots of uncomfortable emotions. Therapy does not mean telling a patient how wonderful they are all the time. It’s about helping them solve their issues and improving their quality of life by giving them the emotional tools to handle tough situations.