Mental Health Month
May is national Mental Health Month, a time when the mental health community encourages everyone to learn more about the warning signs of mental illness. It is estimated that nearly one in three individuals experience psychiatric symptoms every year, so it is important to recognize the significance of such signs and to make appropriate choices for treatment.
In the spirit of Mental Health Month, Yale University Press is pleased to announce the paperback release of the award-winning 50 Signs of Mental Illness. Written by Dr. James Whitney Hicks, a highly regarded psychiatrist with extensive clinical experience, the book presents fifty signs that may—or may not—signal mental illness. These signs include everything from antisocial behavior, anxiety, and appetite disturbances to depression, obsessions, and sexual preoccupations. The author explains how a specific sign can be caused by several different illnesses and may even be a normal response to stress, and he outlines available treatments as well as strategies for coping with each symptom.
I believe that awareness of mental health disorders is extremely important. The stigma of mental illness is lessening. I can definitely see a change in the past 5 years. Five years ago, there were no ads on TV for depression or bi-polar medications. There is a better awareness that mental disorders are a “medical” illness and not a character flaw or weakness. Because of this, people are more apt to come forward with their mental health disorders. This needs to be done. More people need to be aware of what to look for, symptom-wise.