 What illnesses are we talking about?
How many people have a mental illness?
What causes mental illness?
Misunderstanding and Stigma
In the U.S., mental illnesses are diagnosed based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) published by the American Psychiatric Association. The major categories of mental illness are:
Anxiety Disorders (for example, panic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder)
Mood Disorders (for example, depression or bipolar disorder)
Personality Disorders (for example, borderline personality disorder)
Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
Phone: (301) 443-4513 or (866) 615-6464 (toll-free)
TTY: (301) 443-8431
http://www.nimh.nih.gov
To link to MedlinePlus, a service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health: http://www.medlineplus.gov
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)/National Mental Health Information Center
P. O. Box 42557
Washington, DC 20015
Phone: (800) 789-2647 (toll-free)
TDD: (866) 889-2647
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov
Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA)
8730 Georgia Ave., Suite 600
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: (240) 485-1001
http://www.adaa.org
Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF)
1000 Skokie Blvd., Suite 570
Wilmette, IL 60091
Phone: (847) 256-8525
http://www.bpkids.org
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
730 N. Franklin St., Suite 501
Chicago, IL 60610-7224
Phone: (800) 826-3632 (toll-free) or (312) 642-0049
http://www.DBSAlliance.org
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)
Colonial Place Three
2107 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201-3042
Phone: (800) 999-6264 (toll-free) or (703) 524-7600
TDD: (703) 516-7227
http://www.nami.org
National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD)
60 Cutter Mill Rd., Suite 404
Great Neck, NY 11021
Phone: (800) 829-8289 (toll-free)
http://www.narsad.org
National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEA-BPD)
P. O. Box 974
Rye, NY 10580
Phone: (914) 997-8628
http://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.com
Mental Health Americ (formerly NMHA)
2000 N. Beauregard St., 6th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22311
Phone: (800) 969-6642 (toll-free) or (703) 684-7722
TTY: (800) 433-5959
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net
National Schizophrenia Foundation
403 Seymour Ave., Suite 202
Lansing, MI 48933
Phone: (800) 482-9534 (toll-free) or (517) 485-7168
http://www.nsfoundation.org
Mental illness is common in the United States and internationally. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an estimated 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older—about 1 in 5 adults—suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 1998 U.S. Census residential population estimate, this figure translates to 44.3 million people. In addition, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are mental disorders – major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/stats.cfm
The fact is, no one knows for sure. Most current evidence points to a physical component to mental illnesses, and that these illnesses are medical conditions caused by changes in the chemistry of the body and brain. Scans of the brains of people with mental illnesses can show a distinct difference between their brains and those of people without mental illness. Other research has shown links to a person’s physical makeup, and that people who inherit particular combinations of genes may be more likely to become mentally ill. A person’s environment has an important effect on their mental health, as well. But no one stressful event or experience is likely the "cause" of a mental illness, and no one can "make" another person mentally ill.
Mental illnesses do not have obvious causes like a broken arm or blindness – you can’t see the broken brain. Mental illness can cause people to behave in ways that are hard to understand and make others uncomfortable or frightened. And when we don’t understand something, we often ridicule or fear it. People living with a mental illness not only need to manage their symptoms but have to adjust to a new awareness that others may think or say they are "crazy."
Because of this lack of understanding, people sometimes "blame the victim" when that person shows signs of mental illness. But mental illnesses are not character flaws or signs of personal weakness. Nor are they conditions that will just disappear if a person "thinks positive" or tries to "snap out of it." Anyone who has experienced the agony of a mental illness knows that no person would choose to live their life in this way.
Devaluing mental illness is not acceptable. Don’t let this prevent you from getting help. Your illness does not define who you are.
Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma (ADS Center)
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