I want to remind everyone that if you are experiencing any signs or symptoms of mental illness you are not alone. There are millions of other American's facing similar feelings. There are resources available on campus (Click here to see info about how to get help on campus) and in the local community to connect you with a social worker/therapist and or psychiatrist.
The following image comes from "Mental Health America"
The main statistic I would like to focus on is the first one, 19% of all adults in the United States have experienced a mental illness, that is almost 1 in every 5 people in the US. Seeking out help for a mental illness does not mean that person is "crazy" it means that person is willing to talk to a professional and work on themselves. Talking about mental health is the first step to erasing the stigma behind mental illness.
The words mental health and mental illness are related however they not interchangeable.
Everyone has mental health just like we have physical health. Mental health is about mental well-being, our mental well-being consists of our emotions, thoughts, feelings, social connections, problem solving abilities and our understanding of the world around us. Mental illness is an illness that affects the way people think, act, feel and or interact with others. (More information here) Just like our physical health our mental health can vary day to day. It is important to reach out for help when our feelings, thoughts, actions and or interactions with others feel like it is taking a toll on your day to day life. When you wake up feeling sick if it gets in the way of you living your usual routine you go to the doctor and no one bats an eye. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, if your mental health gets in the way of your usual routine it is time to reach out for help.
