Too many people continue to dismiss the importance of mental health, despite societal discussions surrounding it. The conversations are moving toward a better understanding, but the implied disregard for the seriousness behind mental illness causes people who need treatment to go without it for fear of ridicule. Even worse, many people don’t recognize they have mental health issues because it’s something not discussed in their social circles. Therefore, my blog series for May will address the perceptions about mental health that impede the progress of those who need help.The reality is taking care of your mental health—and seeking treatment if it is not in tip-top shape—is just as important as taking care of your physical health.

The Statistics

For people who don’t struggle with mental health and are lucky enough not to have close family members or friends who do (or at least don't share their struggle openly), mental health can seem like a minor thing or someone else’s problem. Statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, however, indicate a different story.

• Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year.

• Approximately 1 in 25 adults in the U.S.—9.8 million, or 4.0%—experiences a serious mental illness in a given year that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.

• Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18 (21.4%) experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life. For children aged 8–15, the estimate is 13%.

• 1.1% of adults in the U.S. live with schizophrenia.

• 2.6% of adults in the U.S. live with bipolar disorder.

• 6.9% of adults in the U.S.—16 million—had at least one major depressive episode in the past year.

• 18.1% of adults in the U.S. experienced an anxiety disorder, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and specific phobias.

• Among the 20.2 million adults in the U.S. who experienced a substance abuse disorder, 50.5%—10.2 million adults had a co-occurring mental illness.

I was especially surprised reading that last statistic, which clearly shows addiction goes hand in hand with mental issues half of the time. I also didn’t know that children were affected in such high numbers, but these are the things we need to address as a society.

Ways to Turn Mental Health Issues into Household Topics  

1. Stop Being Judgmental: Just because someone has a mental illness doesn’t mean you need to label him or her as being "crazy." Years ago, while working as a security guard at a community college in Orlando, I was approached by a person who asked me for directions to a psychiatrist's office, located in a compound close to the office I guarded. The first thing that person said was, "the appointment is not for me." One of the reasons he said that is because he didn’t want me to think there was something mentally wrong with him. Now, I don’t blame this gentleman, but as a society, if we can become more accepting of people who need help, more people will feel comfortable and talk about their struggles with mental illness.

2. Be a Good Listener: Always make time to listen to someone willing to talk about his or her mental health struggles. Most of the time, we’re either too busy to listen or too quick to give our opinions. But in most situations, it’s best just to listen; it makes everyone feel valuable. If you can refer a person who needs help to a professional, please do so once the conversation ends. Sometimes, calling for help is a matter of life or death.

3. Don’t Try to Diagnose: Talk about what you see or how you feel, but unless you're a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, do not play doctor . In the era of Google, it's easy for people to think they are mental health professionals. All anyone has to do is "Google" whatever symptom a person is experiencing to get an idea of what the ailment could be. Unfortunately, some who are untrained try to diagnose the problem, and that's dangerous. If you’re not a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or any other type of mental health professional, you should never attempt to offer your professional opinion. You’ll end up making the matter worst by doing so, and you could get arrested.

Looking Ahead

We’re going to skip a week of mental health talk next week as I wanted to pay tribute to the mothers in our lives since it will be right around Mother’s Day. I think you’ll enjoy the blog I have planned.I’ll be back with more talk of mental health in two weeks, taking a look specifically about how mental health affects the minority population and their inability to get the same level of care as people from higher socioeconomic demographics.The third blog covers everybody’s mental health, examining how important it is to seek help, and also learn the types of support available for those who are struggling. Finally, with a topic that’s close to me, we’ll wind up this series talking about how mental health affects our military and its families.I think you’ll find this series interesting and informative. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to forward them along.