Edition Two: Mental Illness
Welcome to Edition Two
of
This
is Life and Events
Sanely
Insane
Welcome Back Dear Readers,
Why not start the blog with a topic that we can all relate to and a topic that I am included in? I make up some of the statistics that will be provided to you. Any and all statistics, unless stated otherwise, will be from https://link.edgepilot.com/s/6a9fcd61/HJ98jpWba0SBejhCYbl2NA?u=https://www.nami.org/mhstats.
These are not my stats; however, they do include me and probably many of you are included as well, my dear readers. This is the sad truth of life. Life is hard and unfortunately; it is much easier to just say 'fuck it' and throw in the towel. As a nation, we all know some that severely suffers from some form of mental illness for a litany of reasons. Our mental illnesses can range from just feeling a little down for a few minutes of the day, all the way up to fighting off the urge to remove the top of our skulls via a brand new forty-five caliber bullet propelled by one-hundred sixty-five grains of gun powder.
Many of you may not realize that mental illness is highly hereditary. Some things are just in our blood, in our DNA, and there is nothing we can do about it but address it and treat it as efficiently as possible. I have learned through my thirty-eight years on this planet that there are positive ways to go about treating mental illness and there are MANY negligent ways to approach it. Knowing what I know now, being equipped with the knowledge I have accrued through the years, counseling is the only way to get your road to recovery started. Learn ways to cope when an attack occurs. I, unfortunately, was put on medication immediately and have lived my life from day to day relying on pills to make me better instead of having tools to pull myself back to normal. These pills are highly addictive and result in, almost immediate, withdrawal symptoms if you miss a single dose.
The medical system is not an ally to those of us dealing with mental illness, it is a crutch. The medical system is a business, it is not a tool for those of us that need to be seen, heard, and helped. Remember that the next time you go to the doctor and leave with a handful of prescriptions. You are just paying your dues into the business of big pharma, they are not your friends, they are your dealers.
Have some statistics (again, all stats came from https://link.edgepilot.com/s/6a9fcd61/HJ98jpWba0SBejhCYbl2NA?u=https://www.nami.org/mhstats )
- ·
1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness
each year
- ·
1 in 20 U.S. adults experience 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
- ·
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among
people aged 10-34
- ·
20.6% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness
in 2019 (51.5 million people). This represents 1 in 5 adults.
- ·
5.2% of U.S. adults experienced serious mental
illness in 2019 (13.1 million people). This represents 1 in 20 adults.
- ·
16.5% of U.S. youth aged 6-17 experienced a
mental health disorder in 2016 (7.7 million people)
- · 3.8% of U.S. adults experienced a co-occurring substance use disorder and mental illness in 2019 (9.5 million people)
Annual prevalence of mental illness among U.S.
adults, by demographic group:
- ·
Non-Hispanic Asian: 14.4%
- ·
Non-Hispanic white: 22.2%
- ·
Non-Hispanic black or African-American: 17.3%
- ·
Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native:
18.7%
- ·
Non-Hispanic mixed/multiracial: 31.7%
- ·
Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific
Islander: 16.6%
- ·
Hispanic or Latino: 18.0%
- ·
Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual: 44.1%
Annual prevalence among U.S. adults, by
condition:
- ·
Major Depressive Episode: 7.8% (19.4 million
people)
- ·
Schizophrenia: <1% (estimated 1.5 million
people)
- ·
Bipolar Disorder: 2.8% (estimated 7 million
people)
- ·
Anxiety Disorders: 19.1% (estimated 48 million
people)
- ·
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: 3.6% (estimated 9
million people)
- ·
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: 1.2% (estimated 3
million people)
- ·
Borderline Personality Disorder: 1.4% (estimated
3.5 million people)
Mental Health Care Matters
- ·
44.8% of U.S. adults with mental illness
received treatment in 2019
- ·
65.5% of U.S. adults with serious mental illness
received treatment in 2019
- ·
50.6% of U.S. youth aged 6-17 with a mental
health disorder received treatment in 2016
- ·
The average delay between onset of mental illness
symptoms and treatment is 11 years
Annual treatment rates among U.S. adults with
any mental illness, by demographic group:
- ·
Male: 36.8%
- ·
Female: 49.7%
- ·
Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual: 49.2%
- ·
Non-Hispanic Asian: 23.3%
- ·
Non-Hispanic white: 50.3%
- ·
Non-Hispanic black or African American: 32.9%
- ·
Non-Hispanic mixed/multiracial: 43.0%
- ·
Hispanic or Latino: 33.9%
- ·
10.9% of U.S. adults with mental illness had no
insurance coverage in 2019
- ·
11.9% of U.S. adults with serious mental illness
had no insurance coverage in 2019
- ·
55% of U.S. counties do not have a single
practicing psychiatrist
The
Ripple Effect Of Mental Illness
PERSON
- ·
People with depression have a 40% higher risk of
developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases than the general population.
People with serious mental illness are nearly twice as likely to develop these
conditions.
- ·
18.4% of U.S. adults with mental illness also
experienced a substance use disorder in 2019 (9.5 million individuals)
- ·
The rate of unemployment is higher among U.S.
adults who have mental illness (5.8%) compared to those who do not (3.6%)
- ·
High school students with significant symptoms
of depression are more than twice as likely to drop out compared to their peers
- ·
Students aged 6-17 with mental, emotional or
behavioral concerns are 3x more likely to repeat a grade.
FAMILY
- ·
At least 8.4 million people in the U.S. provide
care to an adult with a mental or emotional health issue
- ·
Caregivers of adults with mental or emotional
health issues spend an average of 32 hours per week providing unpaid care
COMMUNITY
- ·
Mental illness and substance use disorders are
involved in 1 out of every 8 emergency department visits by a U.S. adult
(estimated 12 million visits)
- ·
Mood disorders are the most common cause of
hospitalization for all people in the U.S. under age 45 (after excluding
hospitalization relating to pregnancy and birth)
- ·
Across the U.S. economy, serious mental illness
causes $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year
- ·
20.5% of people experiencing homelessness in the
U.S. have a serious mental health condition
- ·
37% of adults incarcerated in the state and
federal prison system have a diagnosed mental illness
- ·
70.4% of youth in the juvenile justice system
have a diagnosed mental illness
- ·
41% of Veteran’s Health Administration patients
have a diagnosed mental illness or substance use disorder
WORLD
- ·
Depression and anxiety disorders cost the global
economy $1 trillion in lost productivity each year
- ·
Depression is a leading cause of disability
worldwide
- ·
It’s Okay To Talk About Suicide
- ·
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among
people aged 10-34 in the U.S.
- ·
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in
the U.S.
- ·
The overall suicide rate in the U.S. has
increased by 35% since 1999
- ·
46% of people who die by suicide had a diagnosed
mental health condition
- ·
90% of people who die by suicide had shown
symptoms of a mental health condition, according to interviews with family,
friends and medical professionals (also known as psychological autopsy)
- ·
Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are 4x more
likely to attempt suicide than straight youth
- ·
78% of people who die by suicide are male
- ·
Transgender adults are nearly 12x more likely to
attempt suicide than the general population
Annual prevalence of serious thoughts of
suicide, by U.S. demographic group:
- ·
4.8% of all adults
- ·
11.8% of young adults aged 18-25
- ·
18.8% of high school students
- ·
46.8% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual high school
students
- ·
If you or someone you know is in an emergency,
call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or call
911 immediately.
Mental
Illness and The Criminal Justice System
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
- ·
About 2 million times each year, people with
serious mental illness are booked into jails.
- ·
About 2 in 5 people who are incarcerated have a
history of mental illness (37% in state and federal prisons and 44% held in
local jails).
- ·
66% of women in prison reported having a history
of mental illness, almost twice the percentage of men in prison.
- ·
Nearly one in four people shot and killed by
police officers between 2015 and 2020 had a mental health condition.
- ·
Suicide is the leading cause of death for people
held in local jails.
- ·
An estimated 4,000 people with serious mental
illness are held in solitary confinement inside U.S. prisons.
COMMUNITIES
- ·
70% of youth in the juvenile justice system have
a diagnosable mental health condition.
- ·
Youth in detention are 10 times more likely to
suffer from psychosis than youth in the community.
- ·
About 50,000 veterans are held in local jails —
55% report experiencing a mental illness.
- ·
Among incarcerated people with a mental health
condition, non-white individuals are more likely to go to solitary confinement,
be injured, and stay longer in jail.
ACCESS TO CARE
- ·
About 3 in 5 people (63%) with a history of
mental illness do not receive mental health treatment while incarcerated in
state and federal prisons.
- ·
Less than half of people (45%) with a history of
mental illness receive mental health treatment while held in local jails.
- · People who have healthcare coverage upon release from incarceration are more likely to engage in services that reduce recidivism.
There you have it, let those numbers sink in and bounce around your brain. Mental illness is worse than any pandemic we could suffer, any physical disease we could become stricken with. Nothing is worse than your own brain fighting against your body, inserting irrational thoughts when all you want to do is be a rational human being. Life is not a game, but it should be fun, mental illness ensures that we are unable to have fun, unable to be who we really are, sad on the inside but plastering a fake smile on our faces to hide our mental illness from those we love so they will not worry.
Check on your friends, check on your family, hell, check on a stranger. It is up to us to help each other because no government entity is going to ensure we are doing well. We are our own allies in this battle against mental illness. It is up to us to care for one another, show compassion, and ensure we all make it the end of each day no matter how hard it is or how horrible we are feeling.
Your fate rests in your own hands, you need to remember that.
Now, tell me what statistic stood out the most to you. I am was shocked to see that females suffered from mental illness more than men, 12.9% more. What did you notice about these statistics?
-JAB (See the links below. I am offering books and entertainment for all that want to have those releases from the pressures of life) This has been Life and Events - Sanely Insane and I will be your host and narrator for as long as you continue to come through.
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I can relate to what you said about the depression and suicide thoughts. Also, when I saw your info about US statistics, I was reminded about a song I like. It is for those who need help, seen the worst of the human world, but still are not well cared for. I will post the link:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_l4Ab5FRwM
Thank you for commenting and reading. Much appreciated! :)
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