Mental Illness-An Orientation to a Healthy Mind
By: Kevin Zwiers, MBA, Community Liaison
Statistically speaking, 1 in 4 people will suffer from a mental illness in a calendar year. Look at the people around you. How many are suffering from a mental illness? As I write this, I think to myself, I am part of a family of 4. Are they suffering? Am I suffering?
What is Mental Illness?
As the National Alliance on Mental Illness states, a mental illness is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with ordinary demands of life.
Let’s break it down.
Mental Illnesses can come in all shapes and sizes. None of which are the same. Each individual reacts differently to their ailments based on their own experiences. Mental illnesses can be a debilitating aspect to one’s life, while there may be very high functioning individuals also living with a mental illness.
The key is to think that the brain is like any other organ in the body and should be treated as such. There is too much negative stigma associated with seeking help. If you were to have hypertension (high blood pressure) would you get treated for it? If I were to ask if anyone reading this has diabetes, would you answer without hesitation? Finally, if I were to ask if you were suffering from depression, how many of us would admit to that? The number of Americans affected by mental illness is 1 in 4 adults-approximately 61.5 million Americans. 1 in 17 adults-about 13.6 million live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression, or bipolar disorder.
Who can be affected?
Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion, or income. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing. It does not matter if you drive a Maserati or a Ford Focus. It doesn’t matter if you can lift 400 lbs. above your head. Mental illness can affect any person at any time. Mental illnesses are treatable. That has to be the most important part to take away. Just because someone suffers from one diagnosis does not mean we treat it the same way for others. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively participating in an individualized treatment plan.
How do we treat mental health?
Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital specializes in mental health and substance use disorder treatment. Our 110-bed facility is equipped with the latest safety features designed to provide patients with a comfortable environment to receive therapeutic care.
Our therapy modalities are evidence-based models proven to decrease symptoms of mental illness and help patients find lasting change. Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital offers a caring environment with licensed psychiatrists, nurses, therapists and technicians who are dedicated to providing exceptional care for you, a loved one or your client.
Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital provides mental health and substance use disorder programming for adolescents to senior adults.
Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital stands with our community as we treat those suffering with mental illness. As a community service, we offer free mental health assessments 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call us at (844) 580-5000 or walk-in anytime.
