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Mental Health Awareness Week 2015: #IAmStigmaFree

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For the millions of persons living and coping with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and schizophrenia, the arrival of Mental Health Awareness Week this year, October 4-10, is no different than any other week: their ongoing battles, struggles and coping with their illness is the same this week as it was last week.

But for the nation, it's an important reminder of the stigma that still exists toward persons who are diagnosed with mental illness.

Congress, in 1990, designated the first week of October as Mental Health Awareness Week, in support of the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ (NAMI) efforts to raise awareness about its devastating effects on lives and generations.

National Alliance on Mental Illness

The Numbers Behind Mental Illness

According to NAMI, nearly 1 in 4 Americans (62 million persons) are affected by mental illness annually, and 1 in 17 (14 million persons) lives with a major mental illness such as depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Close to 20 percent of teens from 13-18 cope with mental illness annually, and about 18 percent of adults (42 million persons) cope with anxiety disorders.

The cost of mental illness is staggering-193 billion dollars annually in lost earnings, according to NAMI. In fact, mood disorders such as depression represent the third most common cause of hospitalization for both youths and adults aged 18-44.

Beyond this, adults who have serious mental illness are at an increased risk for chronic medical illnesses such as coronary artery disease and hypertension. The bottom line is that adults living with serious mental illness die on average 25 years earlier—the result of not receiving treatment for such chronic medical conditions.

A Shift in Attitude?

While the public is becoming more tolerant and open-minded about mental illness, there is still much work to be done to educate the public about the prevalence of mental illness.

Many persons still experience fear and self-consciousness after receiving a diagnosis of mental illness.

But it’s important that the public understands that just as a person who has heart disease needs to take medication, those who have a mental illness also have a disease which requires specific medications to control symptoms to prevent a worsening of their condition.

Those who are stigmatized because of having a mental illness may feel that they are inferior to others, weaker, or less worthy--but this is just not the case.

Research, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, indicates that harboring stigma has quite a negative effect on those afflicted with mental illness, and often delays the process of coping as well as healing. If affected persons feel that they are being treated as outsiders or outcasts, this can exacerbate depression and increase the risk for suicidal thoughts and suicide itself.

#IAmStigmaFree

There is an annual theme for Mental Health Awareness Week, with this year’s theme being, "I am Stigma free"

The significance of this theme is acceptance of each person as a unique individual, not a label to be worn of their specific diagnosis.

The unfortunate part of human nature is that people develop biases related to their understandings or ideas. These biases, however--often based on life experiences and family teaching--do not mean that their beliefs are justified. A person’s life experience generally dictates their thoughts and beliefs toward someone, but it’s important to question why we judge and label a person simply based on their diagnosis.

One way that persons can help to reduce the chance that others may stigmatize them is by acceptance and being open about their specific ailment, whether it be depression, bipolar disorder or anxiety. When persons are open about their condition, it may lessen the chance others can affect them emotionally.

Awareness and acceptance of mental illness as a part of our society has continued to grow with the help of media, the internet and television. The support of family and community are important parts of this process. Specifically, the recognition of the enormous toll that depression and suicide have had on society has been a key message that the media has worked tirelessly to disseminate.

In particular, the suicide of Robin Williams had a profound effect on many people who felt that he was a part of their life, having grown up with him on TV.  It made people stop and think how such a vibrant and dynamic person may have suffered silently.

It is critical that persons with mental illness realize they are not alone and that there is support to help them through difficult times. Most importantly, it's essential that they understand it is possible to cope with and recover from the grips of mental illness.

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