Mental Health Info

Mental Health: What’s Typical, What’s Not

It’s often difficult to distinguish typical mental health from mental illness because there’s no easy test to show if something’s wrong. Mental health conditions are diagnosed and treated based on signs and symptoms, as well as on how much the condition affects your daily life. Each mental health condition has its own set of signs and symptoms. In general, however, professional help may be warranted if you or a loved one experiences:

• Marked change in personality, eating or sleeping patterns
• Inability to cope with problems or daily activities
• Strange or grandiose ideas
• Excessive anxiety
• Prolonged depression or apathy
• Thinking or talking about suicide
• Substance abuse
• Extreme mood swings or excessive anger, hostility or violent behavior

Many people who have mental health conditions consider their signs and symptoms a normal part of life or avoid treatment out of shame or fear. If you’re concerned about your mental health or a loved one’s mental health, don’t hesitate to seek advice. Consult your family doctor, make an appointment with a counselor or psychologist, or encourage your loved one to seek help. With appropriate support, you can identify mental health conditions and explore treatment options, such as medications or counseling.

source: Mayo Clinic

Mental illness is a serious medical illness that affects approximately 1 in 4 families. Mental illnesses disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and personality disorders. The good news about mental illness is that recovery is possible.

Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion, or income. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing. Mental illnesses are treatable. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively participating in an individual treatment plan.

source: National Alliance on Mental Illness

• Mental illness affects 1 in 4 families, but mental illnesses fall along a continuum of severity. Even though mental illness is widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion-about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 Americans-who live with a serious mental illness.

• The U.S. Surgeon General reports that 10 percent of children and adolescents in the United States suffer from serious emotional and mental disorders that cause significant functional impairment in their day-to-day lives at home, in school and with peers.

• Mental illness usually affects individuals in the prime of their lives, often during adolescence and young adulthood. All ages are susceptible, but the young and the old are especially vulnerable.

• Without treatment the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society are staggering: unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and wasted lives. The economic cost of untreated mental illness is more than 100 billion dollars each year in the United States.

• Treatments for serious mental illnesses today are highly effective: between 70 and 90 percent of individuals have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of treatment, therapy and supports.

• Early identification and treatment is vitally important. By ensuring access to effective treatment, recovery is accelerated and the further harm related to the course of illness is minimized.

source: National Alliance on Mental Illness

• If you are unsure of where to start with receiving mental health or substance use services, you can speak with your family doctor, clergy, or community mental health center for more information

• Community Mental Health Centers provide low or no cost behavioral health services

• If you have insurance, your insurance carrier can provide a list of available services

• Your company’s EAP can also provide a list of available services