Each year, millions of people in the U.S. face the reality of living with a mental health condition.
Mental health is a huge part of overall health and should be a priority for everyone. A mental health condition isn’t the result of one event. Research suggests multiple, linking causes. Genetics, environment, and lifestyle influence whether someone develops a mental health condition. A stressful job or home life makes some people more susceptible, as do traumatic life events. Biochemical processes and circuits and basic brain structure may play a role, too.
A mental illness is a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling, or mood. Such conditions may affect someone’s ability to relate to others and function each day. Each person will have different experiences, even people with the same diagnosis. Mental health conditions are far more common than you think, mainly because people don’t like to, or are scared to, talk about them.
“A mental illness is a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling, or mood.”
- 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year.
- 1 in 20 U.S. adults experiences serious mental illness each year.
- 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year.
- 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
If you or someone you know needs help now, you should immediately call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or call 911. If you are thinking of harming yourself or others, or are having thoughts of suicide, don’t be afraid to speak openly and honestly if you need help. You are not alone and there is support available. Mental illness is not your fault or that of the people around you. Don’t be afraid to reach out if you or someone you know needs help. Learning all you can about mental health is an important first step. It’s crucial that you advocate for your own health so you can receive the best care possible.
“A stressful job or home life makes some people more susceptible, as do traumatic life events.”
Symptoms
Symptoms may include (but are not limited to):
- Excessive worrying or fear.
- Feeling excessively sad or low.
- Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning..
Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria. - Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger.
- Avoiding friends and social activities.
- Difficulties understanding or relating to other people.
- Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy.
- Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite.
- Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist in reality).
- Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior, or personality.
- Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs.
- Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”).
Thinking about suicide. - Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress.
“If you are thinking of harming yourself or others, or are having thoughts of suicide, don’t be afraid to speak openly and honestly if you need help. You are not alone and there is support available.”
Want to get a headstart on your health? Call MHEDS at 814-453-6229 (Peach Street) or 814-616-7730 (John F. Kennedy Center).
Our health information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Please be advised that this information is made available to assist the public in learning more about their health. MHEDS’ providers may not see and/or treat all topics found herein.
