|
The United States Congress has designated the first week in
October as Mental Illness Awareness Week. According to the
U.S. Surgeon General, one in every five Americans will
experience a mental illness in their lifetime. The Alabama
Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation serves
over 98,000 clients a year through its facilities and
community contract providers. Additionally, thousands of
Alabamians are served by private sector health care
entities. An unknown number of individuals do not seek
treatment each year because they are afraid of the stigma
associated with having a mental illness. In fact, the
Surgeon General has identified “stigma” as the most
significant barrier to people seeking treatment for a mental
illness. In an effort to combat stigma, the Alabama
Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation has
launched a statewide anti-stigma billboard campaign designed
to heighten public awareness about the abilities and rights
of individuals with a mental illness. The billboards read,
“Look at my disABILITY.” Radio announcements also deliver
this message from a mental health consumer who testifies,
“With the help of advances in medical technology and
treatment, I have been most successful in my career.” In
addition to the media campaign, the DMH/MR has provided
Alabama school teachers with the “Breaking the Silence”
curriculum about mental illness. By utilizing a one-hour
class period for five days, teachers can impart facts about
mental illness to junior high/middle school students and
high school students. The course is designed to help
students identify symptoms of mental illness in themselves
and others and to encourage them to seek help from
responsible adults when symptoms occur. Following a recent
presentation on the symptoms of depression, a student
approached the instructor and privately stated that all of
the symptoms fit him. The student was referred to a
counselor and received appropriate treatment.
DMH/MR officials point out that Mental Illness Awareness
Week, October 6 through October 12, is also a time when we
can reflect on the significant contributions individuals
with a mental illness have made to the world. Famous people
who have experienced a mental illness include: Winston
Churchill, Buzz Aldrin, Isaac Newton, Ludwig van Beethoven
and Abraham Lincoln. (Source:
www.nami.org/helpline/peoplew.htm). DMH/MR Associate
Commissioner Kim Ingram stated, “It’s a new day in mental
health. In the past, many individuals with a mental illness
felt ashamed and tried to hide the fact of their illness.
Although any illness is a personal matter, individuals with
a mental illness have no more to hide than a person with
heart disease or diabetes. Mental illness is not a
behavior/moral illness….it occurs as a result of a
biological/chemical dysfunction of the brain. Genetic
factors may create a predisposition in some people, and life
traumas may engender the onset of symptoms, but it is
important to remember that mental illness is a biological
illness.”
Various advocacy groups will hold special events and
candle light vigils across the state to commemorate Mental
Illness Awareness Week. For more information about these
observances contact the state NAMI 1-800-626-4199 or the
Mental Health Association at (334) 262-5500. |
