By: Quinita E. Good
How much do you know about mental illness? Most people’s beliefs about mental disorders are garnered from the media. According to the Washington State Coalition for Mental Health Reporting fact sheets (WSCMHR), "The
vast majority of news stories on mental illness either focus on…negative
characteristics (e.g., unpredictability and unsociability) or on medical
treatments. Notably absent are positive stories that highlight recovery of many persons with even the most serious of mental illnesses.”
The WSCMHR goes on to say that “The discrimination and stigma associated with mental illnesses stem in part, from the link between mental illness and violence in the minds of the general public.” This profound stigma leads the general public to avoid living, socializing, or working with, renting to, or employing people with mental disorders. And it leaves the mentally ill to bouts of low self-esteem, isolation, and hopelessness, as well as the avoidance of seeking care.
The truth is that this illness is common in America and internationally, and there is a very small proportion of the mentally ill that commit suicide or violence. The Michigan Psychiatric Society (MPS) web site states that “an estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.” When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people.
In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. The MPS states that the highest suicide rates in the U.S. are found in white men over age 85. The website also states that four times as many men as women die by suicide however, women attempt suicide two to three times as often as men.
In the recent cases of violence committed by mentally ill persons (e.g., Fort Hood, Newtown, CT; the Century 21 movie theater in Colorado, and Columbine, the general public has been duped into thinking that all people diagnosed with mental illness commit or are contemplating committing crimes. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In actuality, the majority of people diagnosed with mental illness are managing their lives while dealing with pressures that we are all prone to.
The Counseling Directory website states that “figures suggest that at least 25 per cent of individuals with symptoms of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety do not report this to their (doctor) and of those who do, up to 50 per cent only provide details of their physical symptoms and do not detail any mental and emotional aspects.” This phenomenon is closely related to the fact that there is still a stigma associated with mental illness and people are generally afraid to acknowledge symptoms of this disease.
If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, anxiety, and/or difficulties processing reality, contact your medical practitioner immediately and follow through with a specialist, such as a psychiatrist, therapist, or psychologist. Early detection and treatment can derail any escalation and prevent this disease from taking over one’s life.
Feel free to comment and provide your opninon. As for me I am much surprised of the stats and this information. If we left it up to the media, everyone who were involved in these recent mass killings would tend you to believe it is all because the lack of treatment, lack of medication and unattended injuries or abuse. G. Durham