JULY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults in America experience a mental illness in a given year – that’s 43.8 million adults! Yet people are still afraid to talk about it due to shame, misunderstanding or negative attitudes.

A mental illness is a condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling or mood. Mental illness conditions may affect the ability to relate to others and function each day.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern in the United States. An estimated 40 million adults in the U.S., or 18%, have an anxiety disorder.

Depression is another common mental illness and one of the main causes of disability worldwide. An estimated 16 million American adults had at least 1 major depressive episode last year. Women are 70% more likely than men to experience depression.

Symptoms of Mental Illness Include:

• Trouble falling asleep or sleeping much longer than usual.
• Changes in appetite.
• Lack of concentration / inability to focus.
• More difficulty making decisions.
• Loss of energy.
• Losing interest in usual activities.
• Loss of desire to eat or have sex.
• Low self esteem.
• Hopelessness or thoughts of suicide.
• Physical aches and pains.

This information is provided by the cdc.org, the world health organization (WHO) and makeitok.org.