MENTAL ILLNESS HAS A TREMENDOUS IMPACT on the wellbeing of our nation and community—and it’s the rare individual whose life is left completely untouched by mental-health issues. These “fast facts” from the website of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) tell the story:
• One in five US adults experience mental illness each year.
• One in 20 US adults experience serious mental illness each year.
• One in six US youth aged 6-17 experience a mental-health disorder each year.
• 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-14.
Despite these concerning data points, Mental Health America (MHA) emphasizes that mental-health conditions, while common, are manageable and treatable. Furthermore, it’s important to understand that it’s never too soon to seek treatment for mental-health issues. In fact, early intervention might just save your life or the life of someone you love.
With May being designated Mental Health Awareness Month, there’s no time like the present to get help if you or a loved one is struggling with mental illness and/or considering suicide. Launched in 1949 by MHA (then known as the National Association for Mental Health), this annual observance was established to bring millions of Americans together in promoting mental-health awareness, offering vital resources and education, and advocating for the mental health and well-being of everyone.
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Month, themed “Turning Awareness Into Action,” serves as a rallying cry to move beyond mere recognition of the mental-health challenges facing our community and nation into tangible efforts to address these concerns and actually improve mental-health outcomes, for example by:
• Educating yourself about mental-health conditions
• Sparking conversations about mental health with family, friends, and coworkers
• Prioritizing and engaging in self-care practices
• Promptly seeking professional mental health care when you need it
• Advocating for policy changes in your community
• Supporting individuals in need or local mental-health organizations with your time, talent, or financial contributions.
With mental-health challenges continuing to affect millions of Americans, access to resources and care still lagging, and our increasingly fast-paced digital age inducing stress, anxiety, and an increasing sense of isolation in people of all ages, the theme of “Turning Awareness Into Action” could not be more timely. Beyond encouraging individual effort, the theme also fosters a spirit of collaboration between individuals, organizations, and governments to create a more supportive mental-health environment.
By getting actively involved and taking concrete steps toward better mental health in our community and in our own lives, we can help create a future where mental health is a priority, stigma no longer stands in the way of individuals seeking help, and support and resources are accessible to all—a future in which our nation’s mental-health statistics begin to tell a much more encouraging story than they do today. We’ve come a long way, but we still have much further to go!
If you or someone you love is grappling with mental illness and/or considering suicide, don’t suffer in silence—and don’t succumb to the misconception that enlisting professional assistance in your struggle means you’re somehow weak. On the contrary, seeking professional help for your mental health when self-help efforts aren’t working is a sign of strength, not weakness.
You don’t have to go through these struggles alone, and help is close at hand. Many organizations and agencies in our community are poised to provide the professional care and treatment you need to recover. So, don’t wait another day to make the call that could change your life for the better. ✲
