Image is from Mental Health America
Do you or those you care about suffer from a mental disorder? Perhaps you aren’t positive if or what kind of mental disorder you or a family member is dealing with. It’s not uncommon. What can you do? How do you find out more? May is mental health awareness month and because of that you may have the opportunities you need to find the answers.
Mental Health America and allied organizations come together to educate, serve and bring awareness to mental health disorders and their sufferers through various avenues of outreach. The year 1949 saw the beginnings of the nation’s movement to champion mental disorder awareness. Since then the Mental Health Month cause has reached millions by putting on local events, using the media to spread beneficial information while providing valuable resources and screenings for those in need. Prevention and/or recognizing the signs or symptoms of a mental disorder early can help you prepare for the worst while taking proactive steps to receive the best results!
It’s All Risky Business
The year 2017 marks the Mental Health Month theme “Risky Business.” How do you decrease the likelihood that you or the people you care about will develop a mental disorder? You identify the risk factors. The epidemic of mental health disorder is wide spread and statistics are startling. In fact, mental disorders plague around 450 million people worldwide. So what risky business may you or others be partaking in that increases the chances of or worsens debilitating mental health disorders? Here’s a brief list of behaviors or risks that are raising eyebrows and informing millions:
- Participating in risky sex practices
- Overspending
- Misusing prescription drugs
- Addiction to internet
- Using Marijuana
- Exercise patterns that are troubling
If you can identify with one or more of these risks or are struggling with any one of the mental disorders listed below, Mental Health America and the National Institute of Mental Health are valued resources that may have the information you need to determine your next step to prevention or treatment. Below is a list of the top mental health disorders that over 42 million adults in America suffer from.
- Depression- This disorder is one of the most common of all the mental health disorders. Over 16 million Americans suffer from some form of depression. In Australia 1 to 2 million are said to suffer from depression.
- Schizophrenia- Specifically this is categorized as one of the worst mental health disorders of all. .
- Anxiety and Panic Disorders- One study showed correlation between anxiety sufferers and depression patients, 85 percent of all who had been diagnosed with depression also had anxiety disorder and over a third showed signs of having a panic disorder.
- Bipolar Disorder- This disorder makes the top three of the worst mental illness to suffer from.
- Eating Disorders- Around 8 million people in the United States alone have at least one type of eating disorder
- Substance Abuse & Addiction- One in every 10 Americans is addicted to some form of drug or alcohol. Only around 11 percent of those addicted actually receive treatment.
If you need more information regarding mental health disorders that may be affecting your life or the people you care for, get informed! Mental Health America and National Institute of Mental Health are two organizations that understand how mental disorders can debilitate you and those you love. Knowing what “risky business” can mean for lowering your chances for developing a mental disorder is one important step towards helping you make the right choices for your well-being.