Published: October 07, 2009 08:57 am      

LION AND THE LAMB: Mental health system still needs improvements

This is what caused our shock, when we learned that our son had a mental illness! We had no education, no insight about what was happening around us. That’s scary. And we didn’t know where to turn. Getting impartial advice about this stuff 30 years ago was almost impossible. We drained the libraries, read all the books and still came away with almost nothing. There was no National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) then. Now there is!

These are people like you and us, my wife and myself, that have lived through the shock and distress with having a loved one that begin to act “strange,” and proceeding through the steps of diagnoses, and treatment. NAMI can help with education and support throughout the entire process. They have helped us, they can help you too. How to begin? Small steps count. Visit www.nami.org and browse information about different diagnoses and courses of treatment. Learn symptoms as warning signs.

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is this week — October 4-10 — designated by Congress only a decade ago to promote public education about serious mental illnesses such as major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Other diagnoses include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder.

Why should you care, you say; that’s not going to happen to me. The sad truth is that mental illness does not discriminate. No one is immune. We found that out the hard way. Here are some facts:

About 60 million Americans experience mental health problems in any given year. One in 17 lives with the most serious conditions.

On average, people with serious mental illness live 25 years less than the rest of the population. One reason is that less than a third of adults and less than half of the children with a diagnosed illness receive treatment.

Half of all lifetime cases begin by age 14, but 10 or more years may pass between the onset of symptoms and getting help. One reason for delay is the stigma that wrongly associated with mental illness, which the U.S. Surgeon General has identified as a barrier to care.

In the Army, the suicide rate has been the highest in over 25 years. Two years ago, the number of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the Department of Veterans Affairs jumped by 20,000—almost 70 percent.

The above are the facts. What can you do? The first step is to educate yourself and those around you.

If you see cause for concern, discuss the symptoms with your doctor. Early identification is often a key to recovery. Treatment works— but only if a person gets it. Treatment may involve combinations of medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy (“talk therapy”), peer support groups or community services. Diet, exercise, sleep and social support networks also play a role. For more information, you can call NAMI Tennessee at: (800) 467-3589, and ask for the HELP LINE.

During MIAW, simply renting a DVD of the movies The Soloist or Canvas and watching them with family or friends can make a difference. Afterwards, discuss together what you knew—or didn’t know—about mental illness beforehand.

It’s also important to know that the mental health care system needs improvement. This month, PBS television stations across the country will begin to air "Minds on the Edge: Facing Mental Illness," an exceptional program that challenges the mental health care system. For more information, visit www.mindsontheedge.org. Watch it. Then write a letter to our mayor and governor and tell them what you think.

We need to end stigma

We need to transform the mental health care system.

We need to help ourselves and others.

Help requires action and education must precede action.

We need to start NOW!

That’s what MIAW is about. It means strengthening our community. That’s the reason why you—all of us—should care. Someone you love has a mental illness, that’s why there’s NAMI.