Mental health has become a hot topic in recent years, as suicide has become the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. for all ages.
A 2015 study by the National Institute for Mental Health found that nearly one in five American adults suffer from some type of mental illness in any given year, and 21.4% of adolescents will experience mental illness in their lifetime.
Talking about mental health is more important than ever because 80%-90% of people that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully using therapy and/or medication.
Mental Health Awareness month is in May and World Mental Health Day is October 10. This awareness time is designated to help shed light on not just the prevalence of mental illness, but the symptoms associated with mental illness. Education and treatment is key, but people must understand the symptoms so they will recognize when it’s time to seek treatment.
So, let’s break it down. What exactly is mental illness? According to the Mayo Clinic, Mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions—disorders that affect your mood, thinking, and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.”
Almost everyone experiences a mental health concern from time-to-time, but mental illness occurs when that concern becomes ongoing and the symptoms cause frequent stress that begin to affect your ability to function in your everyday life.
The seven major mental health disorders include:
- Anxiety
- Bipolar Disorder
- Psychosis
- Eating Disorders
- Depression
- PTSD
- Addiction/Substance Use Disorder
Examples of symptoms that one might experience when dealing with mental health disorders include:
- Feeling extremely sad or down
- Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate
- Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt
- Extreme mood changes of highs and lows
- Withdrawal from friends and activities
- Significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping
- Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations
- Inability to cope with daily problems or stress
- Trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people
- Problems with alcohol or drug use
- Major changes in eating habits
- Sex drive changes
- Excessive anger, hostility or violence
- Suicidal thinking
If you or someone you know experiences symptoms of a mental disorder, an easy way to further explore is to take a quick mental health screening. Each of the major disorders coincides with a free mental health screening tool at MHAscreening.org.
Impact Health Sharing is proud to be one of the only healthcare sharing organizations that provide sharing for mental health.
Virtual Mental Health Care is eligible for Sharing through our partnership with MDLIVE®, and outpatient mental health care is eligible for Sharing if offered by a qualified provider up to 5 visits per member, per membership year.
For more details, please read the Impact Guidelines.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or tendencies, seek help immediately. You can call Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, but call 911 immediately for any medical emergencies. Visit save.org for advice related to suicide.
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