​Statistics
  • Approximately one in four adults and youth in the United States experience mental health challenges in a given year.  Yet, less than half of those individuals receive mental health services.
  • Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, and the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15-19.  Four out of five young adult people who contemplate or attempt suicide exhibit clear warning signs. 
  • Stereotypes are the largest barrier preventing young adult people from seeking help. 
  • Each day an estimated 18-22 veterans die by suicide.  
  • 80-90% of people who seek mental health treatment see improvement in their symptoms.
Myths
Myth:  Teenagers don’t suffer from “real” mental illnesses - - they are just moody.
Fact:  1 in 4 teens has some type of mental health problem in a given year.
National Institute of Mental Health

Myth:  Mental illness is not real and cannot be treated.
Fact:  Mental disorders, like other health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and cancer, are diagnosable and treatable.
Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health

Myth:  Children are too young to suffer from depression.
Fact:  More than 2 million children suffer from depression in the United States, and more than half of them go untreated.
U.S. Center for Mental Health Services

Myth:  Troubled youth need more discipline.
Fact:  Almost 20% of young adults in juvenile justice facilities have a serious emotional disturbance and most have a diagnosable mental disorder.
U.S. Department of Justice

Myth:  Talk about suicide is an idle threat that does not need to be taken seriously.
Fact:  Suicide is the third leading cause of death among high school students and the second leading cause of death in college students.  Talk about suicide should always be taken seriously.
Jed Foundation

Myth:  Individuals who suffer from mental illness are unable to participate in society in a meaningful way.
Fact:  Many of the greatest contributors to society and its culture had diagnosable mental health conditions, including:
  • Abraham Lincoln – the revered Sixteenth President of the United States who suffered from severe and incapacitating depression. Carl Sandburg
  • Leo Tolstoy – the author of War and Peace revealed the extent of his own mental illness in the memoir Confession. The Dynamics of Creation (Anthony Storr) and The Inner World of Mental Illness:   A Series of First Accounts of What It Was Like (Bert Kaplan)
  • Tennessee Williams – the well-known playwright gave a personal account of his struggle with clinical depression in his own memoirs.  Five O’Clock Angel:  Letters of Tennessee Williams to Maria St. Just (1948-1982)
  • Isaac Newton – the famous scientist’s mental illness is well-documented. The Dynamics of Creation (Anthony Storr) and The Key to Genius:  Manic Depression and the Creative Life (D. Jablow Hershman and Julian Lieb)
  • Ernest Hemingway – the Pulitzer prize-winning novelist’s suicidal depression is well-known. The True Gen:  An Intimate Portrait of Ernest Hemingway By Those Who Know Him (Dennis Brian)
  • Michelangelo – one of the world’s greatest artistic geniuses is said to have suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder. The Dynamics of Creation (Anthony Storr)
  • Winston Churchill – this world leader is said to have suffered from bipolar disorder. Churchill’s Black Dog, Kafka’s Mice and Other Phenomena of the Human Mind
  • Ludwig von Beethoven – This brilliant composer experienced bipolar disorder. The Key to Genius:  Manic Depression and the Creative Life (D. Jablow Hershman and Julian Lieb)
WARNING SIGNS
An individual who experiences the following feelings and experiences should seek help:
  • Feeling little or no pleasure in life
  • Feeling worthless or extremely guilty
  • Crying a lot for no particular reason
  • Withdrawing from other people
  • Experiencing severe anxiety, panic or fear
  • Having very low energy
  • Losing interest in hobbies and pleasurable activities
  • Having too much energy, having trouble concentrating or following through on plans
  • Feeling easily irritated or angry
  • Experiencing racing thoughts or agitation
  • Hearing voices or seeing images that other people do not experience
  • Believing that others are plotting against you
  • Wanting to harm yourself or someone else
Minding Your Mind
SEEKING HELP
  • When experiencing a mental health problem, it is important to seek help.  It is not your fault.  Let a family member or friend know.
  • If someone comes to you for help, listen to what they have to say, validate their feelings, and encourage them to tell an adult they trust or a professional.  If you are worried they will not seek help, reach out to a trusted family member or friend on their behalf.
  • Do not become discouraged when seeking treatment.  Finding the right professional to work with, and engaging in treatment, is a process.  Once you find the right treatment, it is likely you will find relief from your symptoms, and begin the process of recovery.  Remain open-minded and honest when seeking help, and remember that you are not alone.
RECOVERY
Recovery is a term that refers to a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.  The following are four dimensions of recovery:
  • Health – overcoming or managing one’s condition and living in a physically and emotionally healthy way.
  • Home – enjoying a stable and safe place to live.
  • Purpose – participating in meaningful activities, including a job, school, volunteerism, family caretaking or creative endeavors; and achieving/ enjoying independence, income and/or resources conducive to participation in society.
  • Community – enjoying relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love and hope.
RECOVERY SUPPORT COMPONENTS
  • Hope:  Recovery is real – individuals can overcome internal and external challenges, barriers, and obstacles.  Hope can be internalized, and/or fostered by others as a catalyst for the recovery process.
  • Person Driven:  Recovery involves self-determination and self-direction foundations as individuals define their own life goals and design unique paths towards those goals.
  • Holistic:  Recovery encompasses an individual’s whole life, including mind, body, spirit and community.
  • Peers and Allies:  Mutual support and mutual aid groups, including sharing of experiential knowledge and skills, as well as social learning, play an invaluable role in recovery.  
  • Relationships and Social Networks:  An important factor in the recovery process is the presence and involvement of people who believe in the person’s ability to recover, who offer hope, support, and encouragement, and who suggest strategies and resources for change.  
  • Individual, Family & Community Strengths and Responsibilities:  All of these resources and strengths serve as a foundation for recovery, and all have responsibility to help and to offer support.  
  • Based on Respect:  Community, systems, and societal acceptance and appreciation for people affected by mental health and substance use challenges – including protecting their rights and eliminating stigma and discrimination – are critical to achieving recovery.