Understanding My Mental Health

Information and facts in Mental Health

After experiencing and surviving my mental breakdown back in 2016, and while during my recovery from addiction my mental health plummeted. It became worse than I have ever experienced. I was not aware that, because I had self-medicated for so long, masking my illness, that it would come back tenfold. I simply was not prepared. All the while I was struggling to get out of bed and dress myself each morning, my daughter only saw it as laziness. Strictly not wanting to get out of bed to help her get ready for school or seeing her off. Even when she would get home that afternoon I’d be sleeping, exhausted from just trying to cope with my depression. I could see the disgust on her face when she’d see me still in bed. I wanted to sit her down many times and explain to her everything but I knew she wouldn’t understand. My mother was of no help either. Berating me every chance she got. I was reminded then that I had no support system. Something I craved but never received.

Feeling that down at that moment, like I had disappointed my daughter yet again I decided to finally take my mental health seriously. To seek professional help and get on medication. I also promised myself to research all I could on my illnesses, to understand better where I was battling daily. Here are some of the information I found

• 1 in 4 adults- approximately 61.5 million Americans experience Mental illness in a given year.
• 1 in 17 adults about 13.6 million adults suffer a serious mental illness. Such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder.
• Approximately 2.6 percent of American adults- 6.1 million people live with the bipolar disorder.
• 6.7 percent of American adults- at about 14.8 million people live with major depression.
• 18.1 million percent of American adults- that is 4.2 million people live with Anxiety disorders, such as PTSD or social anxiety
• 26 percent of homeless adults live with a serious mental illness
• 46 percent live with a SEVERE mental illness.
• 60 percent of adults and one-half of youth ages fifteen through eighteen with mental illnesses receive no mental health services this last year alone.
• One-half of a chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14. Three quarters by the age of 24

When I saw these staggering statistics I was shocked and saddened. Because u know all too well what depression and anxiety feel like. I know PTSD. I know what being bipolar does too you and I truly know the stigma attached to mental health. People just don’t care.

The Impact of Mental Illness In America

• Mood disorders such as depression are the third most common cause of hospitalization in the U.S. for both youth and adults age 18–44
• Adults living with the serious illness die on average 25 years earlier than other Americans. Largely due to treatable medical conditions.
• Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. (more common than homicide)
• 90 percent of those who died by suicide had one or more mental disorders

I continued my research but focused on my understanding of my disorders and what they did. Here are a few.

Bi-Polar Disorder:

A mental illness that causes drastic shifts in a person’s mood, energy and the ability to think clearly. They experience high and low moods-known as mania. If left untreated bipolar disorder worsens.

Depression:

A depressive disorder is more than just feeling sad or going through a rough patch. It’s a serious mental condition that requires understanding and medical care. Left untreated depression can be devastating for those who have it and their families.

Anxiety Disorders:

Feelings of intense fear and distress become overwhelming and prevent us from doing everyday activities.

Dissociative Disorders:

In my case, Dissociative Amnesia.

The main symptom is difficulty remembering important information. (For me, I can’t remember anything before my seventeenth birthday) Dissociative Amnesia may surround a certain event, traumatic abuse as a child. Episodes can last minutes, hours, days, months or even years.

Those are a few of the mental illnesses I battle daily. I am now receiving professional help and I’m on medication. I also have become a huge mental health advocate to help fight off the sigma.