When the Mind Gets Sick...

Would you be surprised to hear that "the leading cause of disability in the US and Canada [is mental illness]" or that 1 in 4 Americans suffer from mental illness each YEAR? Yes,1 IN 4 AMERICANS THIS YEAR . In other words, one person in every average-sized (2 parent/caregiver+2 child) home will suffer from a mental illness this year. Who do you think it will be in your family this year? You? Your child? Your parent? Regardless, it doesn't take much more calculating to understand why ALL OF US will experience a disorder in thought, mood or personality at some point(s) during our lives.

Ok. Ok. OK. Let me back track a bit and explain why I am posting about this topic today. Of the quarter of Americans that suffer from mental illness this year, only half of those will seek therapeutic treatment for it. The recent "discussions" about the state of mental healthcare in this country have been quite heated. I believe that, without a doubt, the greatest delay in progress comes from the stigma of mental illness that permeates our culture. The media and the legal system encourage the implicit association between mental disorders and criminality and we all, to some degree, subconsciously absorb this belief. Hopefully, you understand why this association is dangerous for all of us, but I will assume that you need it explained:

1. When illnesses are stigmatized, people don't seek treatment out of embarrassment and shame.
2. When mental illnesses go untreated, they can escalate into more severe and more enduring conditions that can SOMETIMES pose a threat to the individual or others
3. These rare cases get picked up by the media thus strengthening the stigma and perpetuating the cycle.
4. Eventually, the stability of our public health & safety can become threatened if the availability of mental health treatments diminish. This occurs when therapists, researchers, and doctors choose more profitable fields.

So, how do we stop the process before it gets any worse? Well, we can start with developing an understanding that the family member that sleeps too much, or the boy whose face turns red when someone talks to him, or the woman who is mean to everyone for no reason, or the loud girl in your class, or that socially awkward co-worker may all be suffering from untreated mental illnesses. Does that mean they are crazy? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! It means that they have the mind's equivalence of a cold and they need to go to the doctor before it turns into the flu. I'm not ashamed to say that I, too, have suffered from mental illness in my life, but I can personaly attest to the fact that therapy works! Whenever I have a panic attack, I immediately see my therapist to determine the root cause of my anxieties because I understand that my personality type promotes this kind of negative reaction to stress. I, also, used to be a cigarette smoker due to my untreated anxieties, but now that I manage my stress in healthier ways, I have been smoke-free for a year. You'll be surprised with what all will improve in your life when you get your mind straightened out.

Anyway, so what can you do to help? The best thing you can do is to focus on yourself with this one. It never hurts to talk about your life to someone who will listen without judgement or bias even if you don't think you have a disorder at the moment. So go see a licensed therapist or psychiatrist and spread the word that you are tending to your mental health as part of a well-rounded health plan. Join this movement of self-respect and help end a harmful social stigma at the same time!!!

For More Information on Mental Health (source: www.NIMH.NIH.gov):
Educational Resources about Mental Health and Illness
Source of the statistics used in this post