This is a very intriguing article. It appeared in the May 2016 Women's Health Magazine pages 174-185. I think the intention of this article is to stamp out stigma with regards to mental illness, by showing women with mental illness from a great variety of careers and situations. It also brings awareness to mental illness in general. It lets us know that mental illness is much more common than we would believe. It also indicates that treatment for mental illness is much less than it should be. Only about 40 percent of people with mental illness get treatment. In fact mental illness is hampered by poor care. This is due to the stigma, and also due to a lack of resources. Mental disorders come in many different types of disorders Everyone is individual. When someone reveals to you that they have a disorder, the article suggests hearing the person, and ask what you can do to support them. It might also be well to check in later, watch your words and learn about the disorder.
The word "mental illness" conjures up different reactions. A third of people react negatively, "This person has brain disorder." A third react positively, "this is a real condition. Another few are neither positive or negative, and a few are really scared, "This is so serious and final."
We can all help stamp our stigma. We can volunteer time to help our community. We can use our vote that help mental illness gain parity with other illnesses. You can stay informed of mental health issues. We can donate time and money to worthy causes that promote mental health such as http://suicideispreventable.org/. We can become more aware. Women's Health is sponsoring conversations on their Youtube Website during May for May is Mental Health Month. Another good website is the SAMSHA website which is the latest government information about mental illness.
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