Mental illness affect 19% of the adult population, 40% of teenagers and 13% of children each year. People struggling with their mental health may be in your family, live next door, teach your children, work in the next cubicle or sit in the same church pew. However, only half of those affected receive treatment, often because of the stigma attached to mental health. Untreated mental health can contribute to higher medical expenses, poorer performance at school and work, fewer employment opportunities and increased risk of suicide.

 Below are Reasons Mental Illness is Paramount

Meaning of Mental Illness

A mental illness is a physical illness of the brain that causes disturbances in thinking, behavior, energy or emotion that make it difficult to cope with the ordinary demands of life. Research is starting to uncover the complicated cause of these diseases which can include genetics, brain chemistry, brain structure, experiencing trauma and/or having another medical condition, like heart disease.

The Two most Common Mental Illness Conditions are:

Anxiety Disorders – More than 18% of adults each year struggle with some type of anxiety disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (panic attacks), generalized anxiety disorder and specific phobias.

Mood Disorder – Mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar depression, affect nearly 10% of adults each year and are characterized by difficulties in regulating one’s mood.

What You Can Do to Help Those with Mental illness

Although the general perception of mental illness is still powerful, largely due to media stereotypes and lack of education, and that people tend to attach negative stigma to mental health conditions at a far higher rate than to other diseases and disabilities, such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease. Stigma affects not only the number seeking treatment, but also the number of resources available for proper treatment. Stigma and misinformation can feel like overwhelming with a mental health condition. Here a few powerful things you can do to help:

Showing Individual and acceptance- removes a significant barrier to successfully coping with their illness. Having people see you as an individual and not as your illness can make the biggest difference for someone who is struggling with their mental health.

Advocating within our circles of influence- This helps to ensure  these individuals have the same rights and opportunities as other members of your church, school and community.

Learning more about mental illness- This allows us to provide helpful support to those affected in our families and communities.