Learning to Recognize the signs of Mental Illness
Because this is a hidden disability, there is very little known about it
unless you go to YouTube and watch PSA's that NIMH has published and
posted on YouTube; especially with celebrities who have been willing to
talk and shed light on their experiences.
They oversee and try to shed light on the whole issue of mental illness. The also sponsor support groups for families who have a family member that has a mental illness. The sponsor the National Suicide Prevention hotline, although each state and the large city has their own hotline.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call 1-800-273-8255
One of the reasons that Mental Illness goes unnoticed is that the organizations that serve these communities are NPO's and depend on donations and government appropriations to keep their doors open. Depending on which party controls the government determines if they get funding or not. The democratic party when they're in the majority fund these social service organizations while the Republican party cuts the funding they receive. Therefore, many of these organizations compete for grants from foundations to keep their doors open. There's a limited amount of funds and foundations to get funding so some suffer more than others.
The list above are just some of the disabilities covered under the umbrella of
Mental
Illness. PTSD is the most commonly known and talked about because of
the military since the Viet Nam war when the numbers increased
dramatically and the suicide rate in the military.
There are 2 different kinds of behaviors in mental illness. Neutoic behavior is when someone has anxieties but can function in society and no one know they have a problem and psychotic when there's a total breakdown aand they need hospitalization and medication to live in the outside world.
Until more light is sed on the topic of mental illness instead of being kept hiden away behind closed doors. This will most likely have to come from the public at large and not just organizations t that serve the disability community. About 18.7% of the people in the US can be considered disabled under ADA, therefore, they're not a large enough voting group for public officials to address the problem that's growing everyday.
In the 18th and 19th Centuries the meneally ill were looked at as withches and warlocks and burned at the stake for religious reasons!
Recent Comments
7
Davida,
Thanks for providing information about the statistics of mental illness. The National Institute of Mental Health is a great resource that provides fact sheets concerning mental health (what do if a loved one is stricken by mental illness or where to go if you have it yourself).
I'm a NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Connections facilitator for NAMI Abilene. We provide peer support groups for those living with a mental health condition.
We concentrate on breaking down the stigma associated with mental illness with general public, family and friends. NAMI also has programs which end the silence about mental illness in school aged children.
NAMI is an excellent place to start to be educated about mental illness and begin advocating for those who are suffering.
You mentioned that some administrations help more than others. I want to clarify that each administration has made efforts to tackle the problem of mental illness since it is deemed a public health issue. It is the responsibility of those affected (including family and friends) to make their concerns known on what services and education are needed to help sustain a better life for those living with a mental health condition.
I'm a person with lived experience with bipolar depression and PTSD. My recovery started over 10 years ago when I went to the Veterans Administration for help. My continuous recovery depends on me advocating for myself and others for services that encourage the total wellness of an individual which includes affordable treatment and medications.
The number one priority is that individuals are knowledgeable about early warning signs so they can seek help and not become a statistic. Here are some early warning signs that NAMI publishes on their website
https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Know-the-Warning-Signs
Excessive worrying or fear
Feeling excessively sad or low
Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria
Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
Avoiding friends and social activities
Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy
Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
Changes in sex drive
Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don't exist in objective reality)
Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight” or anosognosia)
Abuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)
Thinking about suicide
Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance
Davida, I hope this helps educate individuals where they can go for help when they need it.
All the best,
Louisa
Good day Davida,
Interesting article on this topic which affects more people than we publicized..
Thanks for sharing.
Enjoy your Friday.
Jules
What's very difficult in the US is so many don't have health insurance, nor do they have the $1000 per month for a therapist, and more $ for drugs
And, just now the death of Anthony Bourdain was confirmed, dead of suicide in a hotel in Paris. His life was probably envied by many, yet depression won that battle.
Thanks for tackling a sad subject!.
That's why the Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare is so important and the Republicans get there way it will die. SO we have to pray that the Democrats win in the midterm elections to protect health care.
We live in the most advanced country in the world who refused to take care of the healthcare of their people. I can't afford to lose my SSI check because that's how my health care needs are taken care of through Medicaid and Medicare. Without them, I couldn't get coverage because I never earned enough money to cover benefits.
Thanks for being willing to talk about this, I think most everyone has know or has a family member that suffers.
Great post on an important issue.
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Thanks Davida
This is very helpful information