Mental Health Issues And Physical Health Issues Should Be Treated Identically

Mental wellbeing as well as addiction issues effects everyone. In 2010, one in four Americans will go through a diagnosable mental illness -- disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and addiction. Sadly, just one in three of those people will seek the therapy and support they need, jeopardizing their physical well being and quality of life.

May is Mental Health Month, a wonderful yearly commemoration that began more than 60 years back to boost understanding of mental health conditions and mental wellness for everyone. It is an ideal time for all of us to reflect on how far we have come since the first Mental Health Month was celebrated and look toward tomorrow.

Undeniably, mental health care treatment has changed drastically over the last six decades. Where a mental health condition used to be a hopeless situation -- a source of humiliation that ensured institutionalization -- people these days can access productive treatment options and programs which allow them to get their life back. We have unprecedented tools to identify and heal even severe mental illnesses.

Socially, we have made great strides as well. Legislators are certainly more aware of how mental disorder impacts our communities, as well as the very important requirement of robust funding and facilities in mental healthcare. Increasingly more, we are seeing public figures coming forward to look at their private and family challenges with many mental health and addiction problems. These testimonies inspire hope and encourage early intervention and treatment.

We now have developed mental health care significantly, yet we have work to accomplish to be certain that those who need help and guidance receive it. Unattended mental health issues cost our nation more than $100 billion per year.

Data shows that mental health conditions are accountable for more disability benefits than chronic diseases such as arthritis and diabetes. Two-thirds of all visits to family physicians result from stress-related symptoms. High levels of stress have been found to predict heart disease, our planet's primary cause of death, more frequently than high cholesterol levels, cigarette smoking or excessive weight. People who have depression have a propensity to develop diabetes compared to those without symptoms of depression. Studies have shown that, left untreated, severe mental illnesses can shorten a lifespan by as much as 25 years.

With such staggering statistics in mind, we have to ask: Why is it that two-thirds of those needing mental health assistance and therapy never look for help? We would never leave a broken limb unattended or permit a loved one to suffer with unmanaged diabetes. What is preventing us from caring for our psychological health in the same manner that we deal with our physical well being?

The resolutions to these concerns are grounded in our perceptions about psychological health. Many in our community stick to long-held beliefs that emotional health and dependency disorders are caused by socioeconomic status, character weaknesses, lousy parenting, growing up or growing older. Others erroneously think that those who have mental health and addiction concerns can't ever recover.

We can correct a lot of these misconceptions.

Many communities are great supporters of mental health providers and many people are supporters for their friends and family members that are working toward recovery in their lives. Let us take the opportunity that Mental Health Month provides to discus publicly and truthfully concerning mental health. Together, we can narrow the gap between those that need care and those who obtain it.