So during the month of May, before I presented my blog, I tested my self. I decided that since mental health changed my life that maybe putting some real facts out into the world for people to read would help others understand how serious taking care of your mental health is.
“The single most important barrier to overcome in the community is the stigma and associated discrimination towards persons suffering from mental and behavioral disorders.”
– The World Health Organization
31 days of 31 facts of Mental Health Illnesses
Day 1:: One in five humans suffer from a mental health illness.
Day 2:: 56% of humans diagnosed with mental health illnesses go untreated.
Day 3:: Oregon has the highest ranking diagnosed mental health illnesses in the U.S.
Day 4:: Georgia is ranked 44th from highest to lowest with the diagnosed and reported mental illness.
Day 5:: Washington, D.C. has the highest ranking mental health illness that coincides with dependence or abuse of drugs or alcohol in the U.S.
Day 6:: 1 in 25 adults in the U.S. experience a serious mental illness in a given year that interferes with more than one major life activity.
Day 7:: In the youth, ages 13-18, 1 in 5 experience a severe mental disorder at some point in their life.
Day 8:: Out of 20 million Americans who suffer from substance abuse, over half of them also had a co-occurring mental illness.
Day 9:: 18.1% of adults in the U.S. experience an anxiety disorder.
Day 10:: Half of all chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14.
Day 11:: Africans/Hispanic Americans use mental health services about 1/2 the rate of Caucasian Americans.
Day 12:: Individuals living with mental health illnesses face an increased risk of having a chronic medical condition.
Day 13:: Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.
Day 14::Adults living with serious mental illnesses die on a na average of 25 years earlier than others.
Day 15:: The average delay between onset of symptoms and intervention is 8-10 years.
Day 16:: Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is the major contributor the other global burden of disease.
Day 17:: Serious mental illness costs America 193.2 billion in lost earning each year.
Day 18:: 60% of adults with mental health illnesses did not receive any treatment in the past year.
Day 19:: Females, due to statistics, are more likely to get mental health services than males.
Day 20:: Estimated 49.5% of adolescents in the U.S. had AMI (any mental illness).
Day 21:: There are effective treatments for your mental disorders and ways to alleviate the suffering caused by them.
Day 22:: Bi polar disorder affects over 60 million people worldwide.
Day 23:: In low or middle income countries between 75-85% of people with mental disorders receive no treatment at all.
Day 24:: Mental health is an essential component of health
Day 25:: During and after emergencies, people are more than likely to suffer from a range of mental health disorders.
Day 26:: Schizophrenia is the most common thought disorder.
Day 27:: In Alabama, there’s only one mental health professional per 1200 people.
Day 28:: A poll in 2018 states that Mississippi has the highest ranking of access to mental health treatment in U.S.
Day 29:: 14.7% of adults with mental illness remain uninsured.
Day 30:: Medicaid is the largest single payer for mental health services.
Day 31:: Primary care physicians providing usual care miss almost 50% of depressed patients and likely fail to recognize common mental health disorders.
Y’all, I am so passionate about mental health and it’s importance in this world. I truly believe that this universe would be a different place if we gave mental and emotional health the importance it needs. The stigma behind mental health and what it truly means are so different. People are so quick to label anyone with a mental illness as crazy or unstable.
But before I tell you my opinions behind the stigma; I want everyone to understand the definitions for some of the terms I have and will use.
- Awareness : knowledge or perception of a situation or fact; concern about and well-informed interest in a particular situation or development
- Stigma: mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person ; stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination
Some of the biggest stigmas of mental health are:
1. Healthcare professionals are abnormal, corrupt, evil to mental health patients.
2. Misrepresentation in the media of what it is like to have a mental health illness.
3. Only effects a few people in the world.
4. Most are violent people who hurt others.
5. Mental health illnesses never get better no matter what.
If we could just raise awareness and cure the stigma that circles mental health maybe more people would be more open to discussing their own issues, to getting the help they need, and become more open minded about it.
In this day and age, everyone who commits a crime seems to scream “mental health illnesses are to blame”. Now, yes this may be a big issue of why some crimes are committed but it’s not all. Mainly the reason mental health illnesses could be the reasoning behind why some crimes are committed are because the people who suffer never get the treatment or help they need. People like to throw people with true illnesses in a prison due to their actions, but do they get the care they needed and deserved before the crime was committed. Many people walk around daily struggling with their emotions, their mind, their thinking, and their reactions and they believe it is normal. Please be aware that nothing about that is normal.
Coming from someone who struggles daily with PTSD, anxiety, and depression it breaks my heart to see other people turn away or try to coddle people with mental health disorders. They are normal people who are sick. Just like someone who has a physical sickness. They need treatment and/or medication to get better. Guess what? They can actually get better. Most mental health illnesses are not curable but can be lived with and tolerated with the right help.
I’m speaking from experience here! I would never be where I am today if it was not for counseling sessions, daily medications, and the support of people who love me. You’re not alone, I was afraid to tell people what my problems really were too. I was scared, embarrassed, and felt so alone with my mental health disorder. I was confused and in denial for years before I was rescued. I felt crazy. I did not feel like myself anymore and I had no motivation to keep on doing anything with my life. I had let my illness take over my life. Then one day someone saw the signs my body was expressing and they didn’t shy away from helping me. I want to do the same for you! I want you to learn the signs and symptoms of mental health illness. I want to spread awareness on just how important it is to take care of that part of your body.
Love, CharenLeigh 
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