FAQs | What the MHL IS and ISN’T doing
If you care about mental health, make sure to back our Kickstarter ›
If you’re reading this, you probably know that I’m starting a thing called the Mental Health League. While we’ve had massive support in the first week of our Kickstarter, some people have had some questions that we wanted to clarify.
Mental Health League FAQs
What is the Mental Health League aka the MHL?
The Mental Health League is an apparel company that uses a sports focused approach to shift the stigma and build community around mental health conditions.
Is the MHL a non-profit or for-profit?
We’re a for-profit company, working for a charitable cause. We believe that is the best way to accomplish our mission.
What is our mission?
To get the world to rally around mental health.
Why do we need to rally around mental health?
20% of adults live with a mental health condition in a given year, but 60% of them don’t receive treatment. We try to deal with it alone because we’re ashamed to admit it to ourselves or to others. The stigma leads us to believe that we’re weak or broken, when that’s just not the case.
What’s with the sports metaphor?
Because before we could start the rally for mental health, we had to find a way to make mental health easier to talk about — something universally understood, something that would turn stigma into strength. After years of living with and studying mental health, we found the solution.
Let’s talk about mental health like it’s a sport — every day is a game, and with the right game plan and fanbase, you can win. The definition of a “win” will be different for everyone, and so will the game plan, but the commonality is that there’s NO OFF-SEASON. You have to play 365 days a year. You won’t win every game — no athlete ever does. What’s important is that you continue playing and training to succeed the best you can.
So is there an actual league I can join?
Yes — digitally speaking. The NFL created a community of players and fans of football. The MLB celebrates the tenacity and determination of baseball players and the people that cheer them on. We created the Mental Health League to honor the game that one in five of us are playing against our own mind everyday, and everyone else is affected by. You can join the league by taking on the mindset, sharing and listening to stories from our community, and wearing the products with pride. As we grow, we aim to build community in real life through events and other impact work.
Then what’s going on with the teams?
The teams are meant to be confident stigma-killing symbols of strength that both fans and players can rally around. Each team represents a different mental disorder so we can tell stories and build community around not just mental health, but the specific challenges and celebrations each community experiences each and everyday.
To start, we’ve created four teams that represent bipolar (Bipolar Bears), depression (Foggy Dogs), ADHD (ADHBees), and anxiety (Anxietees (manatees for anxiety)). We don’t have enough resources to pay for the design or inventory for more teams just yet, but the plan is to expand as quickly as possible to make sure every condition is represented.
Can you join more than one team?
Absolutely. You can be on one team, two, or all of them. Alternatively, you can cheer for the entire league through the league products.
What kind of things are you going to sell?
To start, we’re going to be selling hats aka Rally Caps. Down the line, the dream is to sell all sorts of MHL official gear.
How does selling apparel end the stigma against mental illness?
The first step to fighting stigma is to make this invisible illness visible. Other health conditions have ribbons and bracelets; mental health now has Rally Caps. Not only will these caps help increase visibility, but they’ll work to create a sense of community, start conversations, and help you remember you’re not alone when things are tough. And while it’s against Kickstarter’s rules to donate any of the funds from the campaign, we will donate a portion of profits to mental health charities once we’ve launched our ecommerce site.
What charities are you going to donate to?
We plan to donate to various charities that work to improve access to mental health treatment or end the stigma against mental illness. We’re still deciding on the first charity that we’ll work with, and will announce soon.
How can I help?
2. Like Our Launch Video & Share It With A Friend.
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I’m building the Mental Health League, a brand working to get the world to rally around mental health. Back our Kickstarter ›
