May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and it is something that everyone should be aware of.
In recent weeks, the City of Jasper and the Walker County Commission proclaimed May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Having our local governments make that recognition is a great step in the right direction.
I have personal experience with mental health issues. I have struggled with anxiety and depression for several years, and also have post traumatic stress disorder after the events of the last year or so, losing my leg to an infection and other factors. These conditions have had a significant impact on my life, but I have been able to get help and manage my symptoms.
If you are struggling with a mental health issue, please know that you are not alone. There are many people who understand what you are going through, and there are resources available to help you. Please reach out for help.
I’ve noticed when people do bring up mental illness is that it’s many times more extreme issues, needing hospitalization, but mental illness tends to be more common in highly functioning people who aren’t needing inpatient care.
The following data comes from the National Institute of Mental Health, Mental Health America, National Alliance on Mental Illness, John Hopkins Medicine, the Center for Disease Control and Our World in Data.
- 1 in 5 Americans suffers from a mental illness.
- Almost 6 in 10 people with mental illness get no treatment or medication.
- In 2019, an estimated 47.6 million adults (19% of the country) had a mental illness, but only 43% received any kind of mental health care.
- More than 40,000 Americans die annually from suicide.
- Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. It is the second leading cause of death for ages 44 and under and the fifth leading cause of death for ages 45 – 54. For every woman who dies by suicide, four men die by suicide, but women are 3x more likely to attempt suicide.
- Mental health illness rates were significantly higher for adolescents (about 50%) and young adults (about 30%).
- Anxiety disorders are the highest reported mental health issue in the U.S. with 42.5 million Americans suffering from this illness.
- Women experience depression at roughly twice the rate of men.
- Serious mental illness costs the country more than $190 billion in lost earnings every year.
- An estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder.
- Almost half of Americans will experience an episode of mental illness in their lives.
- There are 4.5 million children in the United States diagnosed and living with anxiety.
- ADHD, behavior problems, anxiety and depression are the most common mental disorders affecting children.
- 322 million people worldwide live with depression
- Almost 800 million people suffer from mental health disorders worldwide.
Our culture in the Bible Belt has often times made the stigma associated with mental illness worse, by saying everything from it can all be prayed away to it is possibly possession by a demon.
While there is no easy answer on how to address and treat each person with mental illness, the first step is to seek out help. Medication is not always the answer, but it can be an answer. Counseling isn’t always the answer, but it certainly can be as well. In my own struggle, I have found success through counseling as well as medication.
Here are some of the things that you can do to take care of your mental health:
- Get enough sleep.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Spend time with loved ones.
- Do something you enjoy.
- Talk to someone you trust if you are struggling.
If you are struggling with a mental health issue, please reach out for help. There are many resources available to you. You are not alone.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out for help. You deserve to feel better.
Here are a couple of quick national resources:
- The NAMI HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET.
Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text “HelpLine” to 62640 or email [email protected]. - The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Dial or text 988 if you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health crisis and get connected to a trained crisis counselor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Crisis counselors listen empathetically and without judgment. Your crisis counselor will work to ensure that you feel safe and help identify options and information about mental health services in your area.
This year, NAMI is celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month with the More Than Enough campaign. Remember that no matter your situation, you are #morethanenough. No matter if you suffer from a mental illness or not, I think that’s a good thing for us all to remember each day.
