I Wish I Wasn’t the Only Person with Mental Health Issues
Mental illness on the menu again, eh? Well, ya know what? When people stop needing help, we’ll stop talking about it.
Alright. Let’s get into it!
Hey Threadies!
One of the things I like the most about Threads Podcast: Life Unfiltered is the honest discussion around mental health. When I started blogging for the guys, I wasn’t super up to speed on mental health. But the more I researched for the Threads Blog, the more I learned.
Through researching and writing these blogs, I encountered a few practices that have had a big impact on my mental health. I learned about mindfulness, as well as and the mental and physical benefits of writing by hand.
There were other things that made an impression on me that I’d not heard about previously. Things like: the adverse mental health effects of blaming natural disasters on God, what it’s like to be bipolar, and the state of mental health (and it’s consequences) in the workplace. Are you wondering:
What does any of this have to do with the being alone with mental illness?
OK, OK. Recently the guys shared something on their social media:
Having a mental illness is difficult on its own, without adding outside pressures. But the feeling of being alone in your suffering compounds the already considerable issue. When you do not fully understand why you feel what you feel, what’s going on in your head, and no one seems to grasp what’s really happening to you, or–even worse–how to behave around you or help you, you can really begin to feel disconnected. That can leave a lot of people thinking: I wish I wasn’t the only person with mental health issues.
The good news is, you’re not alone.
Quick Stats
- From the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.
- This figure translates to 57.7 million people.
- Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44.
- Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.
- Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders.
- An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.
- From the Anxiety and Depression Association of America
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S.
- They affect 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.
- People with an anxiety disorder are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor.
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S.
But here were the most interesting in regards to people feeling alone:
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America (Cont’d)
- Only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment.
- Only 43.2% of people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) are receiving treatment.
- 36% of people with Social Anxiety Disorder report experiencing symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help.
Now What?
Now you know. If you feel alone–you’re not. If you think something is wrong with you and everyone else has their shit together–they don’t.
You. Are. NOT. Alone.
And if you need help, at any time of day, you can get teletherapy from BetterHelp.com.
Long story short, help is out there. You don’t have to go it alone! For more honest talk, listen to the show. On episode 88, the guys talked to Amanda Waldron–an old college buddy of Ben’s, and a therapist in Grand Rapids, MI.
Good luck
-CT
Christopher Tallon writes, podcasts, and…wait a second. Are you actually reading this? High five! Follow me here: