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This Years Mental Illness Awareness Week 2019 For Executives And Professionals

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Every September, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sponsors National Recovery Month. The goal is to promote and reinforce the message that behavior health is  essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover.

Mental illness is not uncommon. One in four people will struggle with a diagnosable mental illness every year. That means that it will most likely affect you, someone you know and love, or even your kids. But unlike other illnesses, there is still a stigma attached to mental illness and behavioral problems. When it comes to kids, many will begin to develop a stereotypical image of mental illness as they get older based on what they see in the media or hear from friends, which is why education is important. So the question arises - when and how can we talk to our kids about mental illness in a way that will be educational and reassuring? 

People often use the terms mental health and mental illness interchangeably, but just as with any other medical condition, you are healthy or you are ill. It is a serious mistake to call it a mental health issue when someone has a mental illness. They are sick. It is real, and because people do not understand the difference, it can interfere with proper treatment.

It has been said, “there is no health without mental health” because all aspects of our lives are impacted by our mental health. Take time to educate yourself about mental illness and addiction.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and as with other designated months, the laudable goal is to educate and raise awareness – and there is good reason.

Mental illnesses strike all ages, genders, ethnic groups, races and nationalities. These illnesses cannot be overcome through will power alone and are not related to a person's character or intelligence. Falling along a continuum of severity, the National Institute of Health reports that 25 percent of the adult population will experience a mental health disorder in a given year; one in six of those will be seriously debilitating.