Memorial Day: Take Pause and Remember





"All gave some. Some gave all."
Some Gave All: Billy Ray Cyrus


Taps

Day is done
Gone the sun
From the Lakes
From the hills
From the sky.
All is well,
Safely rest.
God is nigh.
Fading light
Dims the sight
And a star
Gems the sky,
Gleaming bright
From afar,
Drawing nigh,
Falls the night.
Thanks and praise,
For our days,
Neath the sun,
Neath the stars,
Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh.



Please honor those who have served and those currently serving by participating in the National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m.



Memorial Day Quotes and Poems



taps source:http://www.butlerwebs.com/holidays/memorialday.htm#How%20To%20Observe%20Memorial%20Day

Inspirational Recovery Quotes: Self-Empowerment



Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
Mahatma Gandhi

Taking back our power means deciding who we are, and who we wish to be. This is only possible when we no longer make our past or other people’s opinions “about us.”
Melanie Tonia Evans

You can change your world by changing your words... Remember, death and life are in the power of the tongue.
Joel Osteen

Whenever a negative thought concerning your personal power comes to mind, deliberately voice a positive thought to cancel it out.
Norman Vincent Peale

Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair,but manifestations of strength and resolutions.
Kahlil Gibran

Remove those 'I want you to like me' stickers from your forehead and, instead, place them where they truly will do the most good --on your mirror!
Susan Jeffers

You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn't worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.
Louise L. Hay

It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute... that gives meaning to our lives.
Tony Robbins

Your own words are the bricks and mortar of the dreams you want to realize. Your words are the greatest power you have.The words you choose and their use establish the life you experience.
Sonia Croquette

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles.Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you,not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.
Buddha

Don't let the negativity given to you by the world dis-empower you. Instead give to yourself that which empowers you.
Les Brown

When you face your fear, most of the time you will discover that it was not really such a big threat after all. We all need some form of deeply rooted, powerful motivation / it empowers us to overcome obstacles so we can live our dreams.
Les Brown

If we say it long enough eventually we're going to reap a harvest. We're going to get exactly what we're saying.
Joel Osteen

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in that gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.
Alice Walker

If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right.
Mary Kay Ash

If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living. Growth demands a temporary surrender of security.
Gail Sheehy

When I'm trusting and being myself as fully as possible, everything in my life reflects this by falling into place easily… often miraculously.
Shakti Gawain

Life is not what it’s supposed to be. Its what it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.
Virginia Satir

All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs. So how do we change? The most effective way is to get your brain to associate massive pain to the old belief. You must feel deep in your gut that not only has this belief cost you pain in the past, but it's costing you in the present and, ultimately, can only bring you pain in the future. Then you must associate tremendous pleasure to the idea of adopting a new, empowering belief.
Anthony Robbins

To be a warrior is not a simple matter of wishing to be one. It is rather an endless struggle that will go on to the very last moment of our lives. Nobody is born a warrior, in exactly the same way that nobody is born an average man. We make ourselves into one or the other.
Carlos Castaneda

Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.
Desiderius Erasmus

When you replace Rejection of Self for Acceptance and Fascination of Self you've turned a very big corner.
Melanie Tonia Evans

Dreams are journeys that take one far from familiar shores, strengthening the heart, empowering the soul.
Unknown

A woman is the full circle.Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.
Diane Mariechild

You can change your beliefs so they empower your dreams and desires. Create a strong belief in yourself and what you want.
Marcia Wieder

We search for perfection because we believe we are entitled to the best — even if perfection is an illusion foisted on us by an abundance of possibilities.
Hara Estroff Marano

The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off.
Gloria Steinem

Be of service. Whether you make yourself available to a friend or co-worker, or you make time every month to do volunteer work, there is nothing that harvests more of a feeling of empowerment than being of service to someone in need.
Gillian Anderson

First master the fundamentals.
Larry Bird

Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it with use.
Ruth Gordon

We must become the change we want to see.
Mahatma Gandhi

You take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.
Erica Jong

When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
Lao-Tzu

All problems become smaller if you don’t dodge them, but confront them. Touch a thistle timidly, and it pricks you; grasp it boldly, and its spines crumble.
William S. Halsey

When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.
Audre Lorde

Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln

Within each of us is a hidden store of energy. Energy we can release to compete in the marathon of life. Within each of us is a hidden store of courage, courage to give us the strength to face any challenge. Within each of us is a hidden store of determination…determination to keep us in the race when all seems lost.
Roger Dawson

Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
Harold Thurman Whitman

Everything you are against weakens you. Everything you are for empowers you.
Wayne Dyer

You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.
Indira Ghandi

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.
Beverly Sills

Each choice we make causes a ripple effect in our lives. When things happen to us, it is the reaction we choose that can create the difference between the sorrows of our past and the joy in our future.
Chelle Thompson

Our deepest wishes are whispers of our authentic selves.We must learn to respect them. We must learn to listen.
Sarah Ban Breathnach

You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result.
Mahatma Gandhi

Authentic empowerment is the knowing that you are on purpose, doing God's work, peacefully and harmoniously.
Wayne Dyer

Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it. Bitterness paralyzes life; love empowers it. Bitterness sours life; love sweetens it. Bitterness sickens life; love heals it. Bitterness blinds life; love anoints its eyes.
Harry Emerson Fosdick

When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate on helping other people with their difficulties, you will be able to cope with your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor.
Norman Vincent Peale

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.
Pamela Vaull Starr

The beauty of empowering others is that your own power is not diminished in the process.
Barbara Colorose



*See sidebar menus for more Inspirational Recover Quotes and Quotes of the Week





picture source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/4183424771/

Dear Eating Disorder; Take This Job and Shove...


...It!

Dear Eating Disorder,

In the best interest of myself and my future, I hereby submit to you my resignation. An opportunity to work for Recovery has been presented to me that I cannot afford to let pass me by. Though this new venture will be difficult I am up for the challenge and more than qualified for the position. Please be advised that I will not be submitting the customary two weeks notice as my new position requires that I start immediately.

I did not expect to be leaving you on such short notice but, as you are well aware, the conditions in which I have been expected to work have been deplorable, inhumane, and are no longer acceptable. The strict regulations and practices required by your company have proven detrimental to my health and well-being. In contrast, Recovery has offered me a benefit package that you are unable to, and which is unsurpassed.

I will be leaving behind the doubts, insecurities, and secrecy so generously supplied to me throughout my stay here as Recovery will be guiding me to the materials I need or supplying me with the resources in which to obtain them.


Sincerely,

X__________


Anonymous


*Click here to Be featured on Weighing The Facts: Share your eating disorder poetry and writings



picture source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/margolove/1810357551/

Recovery Quote Of The Week: May 24, 2010

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.
Mary Jean Irion

*please see sidebar menu for more Recovery Quotes of The Week and Inspirational Recovery Quotes.


picture source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rayced/752395587/

What Is An Eating Disorder? The Signs, Symptoms, & Red Flags


What is an eating disorder?

eating disorder
Function: noun
: any of several psychological disorders (as anorexia nervosa or bulimia) characterized by serious disturbances of eating behavior

Eating disorders involve extreme behaviors, attitudes, and feelings surrounding food, weight, and body image which are harmful to a person's health and well-being.

Eating disorders are dangerous and can be fatal.

Though someone may be suffering from one eating disorder, they may also exhibit behaviors /traits of other eating disorders (or trade one eating disorder for another).

Below are some of the signs, symptoms, and red flags:

Anorexia
  • refusal to eat
  • intense fear of gaining weight
  • distorted or negative self-image
  • low blood pressure
  • dry skin
  • lanugo (soft, downy hair covering the body)
  • sensitivity to cold
  • fainting/dizziness
  • irregular heart rhythm
  • brittle nails
  • dehydration
  • hair loss/brittleness
  • loss of menstruation
  • swelling of arms/legs
  • social withdrawal
  • depressed mood
  • denial of hunger
  • irritability
  • hair loss
  • osteoporosis
  • osteopenia
  • heart failure
  • reduced interest in sex
  • excessive exercise
  • repeated weighing of self
  • cooking for others but doesn't eat the meal themselves
  • spitting food out after chewing
  • rigid food rituals (cutting into tiny pieces, moving food around plate,etc)
  • complains of being fat
  • skipping meals
  • not wanting to eat in public
  • obsession with calories
  • constipation
  • fatigue
  • arthritis
  • insomnia
  • easily bruises
  • dramatic weight loss/relatively short period of time
  • food restriction/self-starvation
  • malnutrition
  • electrolyte imbalances
  • muscle atrophy
  • paralysis transient (or temporary)
  • kidney disease/failure
  • stroke

Bulimia
  • secretive/excessive eating
  • inappropriate methods of weight control
  • repeated episodes of binging/purging
  • self-induced vomiting
  • diuretic abuse
  • frequent dieting
  • laxative abuse
  • obsessive exercise
  • obsession with weight
  • guilt/shame after eating
  • lack of control over eating
  • hiding food
  • eating to the point of discomfort
  • rarely eats normal meals
  • use of bathroom after meals
  • eating unusual large amounts of food
  • callouses or scars on knuckles/hands (sticking fingers down throat)
  • frequent soar throat
  • frequent weight fluctuation
  • not underweight
  • puffy cheeks (caused by vomiting)
  • tooth decay/discolored teeth
  • hair loss
  • swelling of hands/feet
  • tearing of esophagus
  • broken blood vessels/eyes
  • weakness
  • dizziness
  • arthritis
  • osteoporosis
  • osteopenia
  • ruptured stomach
  • acid reflux
  • ulcers
  • easily bruises
  • loss of menstruation
  • bloating
  • abdominal pain
  • low self-esteem/body image
  • malnutrition
  • electrolyte imbalances
  • muscle atrophy
  • paralysis transient (or temporary)
  • kidney disease/failure
  • stroke

Compulsive Overeating/Binge Eating Disorder
  • eating uncontrollably
  • eating large amounts of food (in short period of time)
  • emotional eating
  • eating rapidly
  • eating when full
  • feeling frenzied/out of control
  • feeling guilt/shame after eating
  • fear of not being able to control eating
  • fear of not being able to stop eating once started
  • fear of eating around others
  • isolation
  • social withdrawal
  • weight gain/obesity
  • weight fluctuations
  • shortness of breath (even with light activity)
  • low self-esteem
  • low body image
  • excessive sweating
  • high blood pressure
  • insomnia
  • abdominal pain
  • leg/joint pain
  • mood swings
  • depression
  • fatigue
  • chronic dieting
  • secretive eating
  • hiding food
  • feeling food is your only friend
  • malnutrition
  • electrolyte imbalances
  • kidney disease/failure
  • stroke

For more information:

Find Help:
Resources

Do You Have An Eating Disorder?



compiled from the following sites:
http://www.mayoclinic.com

http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
http://www.something-fishy.org
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mplusdictionary.html
http://www.medicinenet.com
http://helpguide.org
picture source:

Recovery Quote Of The Week: May 12th, 2010

A healing is first a healing of the heart.
Carl Townsend

*Please see sidebar for more Recovery Quotes of The Week and Inspirational Recovery Quotes



Picture souce:

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!




picture source:

Diet History Poll: What's Your Experience With Dieting?


In the sidebar you will find a poll about your dieting history.
The poll has been broken up into 3 parts. Each part is followed by another. Please scroll down on the sidebar to see all 3 poll sections.

Part1: When did you go on your first diet? How often do you diet?

Part 2: Who/what first prompted you to start a diet?

Part 3:What did dieting lead to for you?

Please take a moment and participate in all 3 parts of the poll and share your experience with others.
Thank you!
MrsM

This poll is closed.
Click here for Poll Results

International No Diet Day May 6th, 2010: Get The Facts



We have Mary Evans Young to thank for International No Diet Day. A recovered anorexic and director of the British anti-diet campaign, Diet Breakers, Mary Evans Young established INDD (International No Diet Day) in 1992 to raise awareness of eating disorders and combat the diet industry.

Mary Evans Young explains:
"I started INDD in the spring of '92 following two things. The first was seeing a television programme where women were having their stomachs stapled. One woman had split the staples and was in for her third op[eration]. And then a young girl of 15 committed suicide because 'she couldn't cope being fat.' She was size 14 (12 in US). I decided somebody had to stand up and try to stop this bloody madness and in the absence of anybody else, I decided it would be me. So I sent out a press release titled 'Fat Woman Bites Back'...and got some media attention. I was desperate to keep the anti-diet/size acceptance concept in the public eye. So, without really thinking about it, at the end of a live TV interview I said, 'Don't forget to celebrate No Diet Day.' ...Having declared it on prime time national TV I then set about organising a picnic in Hyde Park. Alas it rained, so we adjourned to my living room instead."

Take the INDD Pledge
INDD's Goals

Dieting often leads to unhealthy and dangerous attitudes towards food. Restriction, being the nature of dieting, places negative values on certain foods such as too many calories, too much fat, etc. The tension and stress of struggling over our food choices puts food in the position of enemy. A child/teen exposed to these attitudes in a dieting parent, sibling, or friend has an increased risk of developing an eating disorder. Anorexia and Orthorexia are two eating disorders to commonly result from dieting.


Some Interesting Stats

Women and Men:

  • The average American woman is 5’4" tall and weighs 140 pounds.
  • The average American model is 5’11" tall and weighs 117 pounds.
  • 91% of college aged women have dieted in an attempt to control their weight
  • 25% of American men are on a diet on any given day
  • 40-50%% of American women are on a diet on any given day

Children:

  • 42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner
  • 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat Over 50% of 10 year old girls wish they were thinner
  • 51% of 9 -10 year-old girls feel better about themselves if they are on a diet
  • 46% of 9-11 year-olds (and 82% of their families) are sometimes/very often on diets
  • 90% of female high school juniors & seniors women diet regularly though 10%-15% are over the weight recommended by the standard height-weight charts

Overall:
  • 95% of all dieters will regain the weight they lost in 1-5 years
  • 35% of dieters will progress to pathological dieting.
  • 20%-25% pathological dieters will progress to partial or full-syndrome eating disorders
  • Those who diet moderately are 5 times more likely to develop eating disorders than non-dieters
  • Those who diet severely are 18 times more likely to develop and eating disorder
  • 1% of teenage girls & 5% of college-age women become anorexic or bulimic
  • Between 90% and 99% of reducing diets fail to produce permanent weight loss
  • 15 percent of young women in the US who are not diagnosed with an eating disorder exhibit substantially disordered eating behavior and attitude
  • 8 million people in the US suffer from an eating disorder
  • In your lifetime 50,000 people will die as a direct result of their Eating Disorder
  • The current media ideal of thinness is achieved by less than 5% of the female population
  • Americans spend more than $40 billion dollars a year on dieting and diet-related products (That’s roughly equivalent to the amount the U.S. Federal Government spends on education each year)
  • Quick-weight-loss schemes are among the most common consumer frauds
  • Diet programs have the highest customer dissatisfaction of any service industry
  • Girls develop eating and self-image problems before drug or alcohol problems
  • Drug and alcohol programs are in almost every school, but no eating disorder programs
  • A recent survey: only 30% out of 250 randomly chosen women 21-35 years of age had normal bone mass. It was concluded that women are so afraid of gaining weight from eating dairy products

The Big Deal About Dieting: What You Should Know

  • “Yo-yo” dieting has negative health effects such as increased heart disease, long lasting negative impact on metabolism, etc.
  • Dieting forces your body into starvation mode. In order to conserve energy your body slows it's normal functions.This means your natural metabolism actually slows down.
  • Dieters often lack important nutrients such as calcium which is needed for strong bones and to combat osteoporosis.

More Information:


Resources:





sources:
linked above and
http://www.eskimo.com

http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/eatingdisorders/a/eatingdisorder5.htm
blueribbon source:
http://www.eskimo.com

Children's Mental Health Statistics and Information



Statistics:

Serious emotional disturbances affect 1 in 10 young people.

The onset of major mental illness may occur as early as 7 to 11 years of age.

Estimated: between 118,700 and 186,600 youths in the juvenile justice system have at least one mental disorder.

73% of children in juvenile detention facilities reported having mental health problems with 57% reporting having had prior mental health treatment/hospitalization.

21% of low-income children and youth ages 6 -17 have mental health problems.

Approximately 5% of children were prescribed medication for emotional and behavioral difficulties. Approximately 89% of the %5 were prescribed medication for hyperactivity, concentration, or impulsivity difficulties.

Approximately 2.9 million children (5.1%) were prescribed medication for emotional or behavioral difficulties.

Approximately5.3% (2.9 million) children received treatment for emotional or behavioral difficulties in addition to, or other than, medication.

Approximately 2/3 of all young people with mental health problems do not get the help they need.

Approximately 79% of children with a mental disorder, between the ages of 6 -17 receive no mental health care.

Approximately 20% (1 in 5) of children/adolescents may have a diagnosable mental disorder.

Children with mental disorders are estimated to range from 7.7 million to 12.8 million.

High school students with mental health problems are more likely to fail or drop out of school.

Up to 14% of high school students with mental health problems receive grades consisting of mostly Ds & Fs compared to 7% of children with disabilities.

25%- 44% of high school students with mental health problems will drop out of school.


Approximately 30%-40% of children with ADHD have family member(s)/relatives with ADHD.

ADHD is the most common psychiatric condition for children, affecting approximately 5%-10%.

Approximately 50% of children with ADHD are never diagnosed.

Estimated: 15% - 20% of children with ADHD have "Specific Learning Disability."

Estimated: 50% of children with a learning disability also have ADHD.

Approximately 3.4 of 1,000 children between the ages of 3-10 have autism.

As many as 1 in 10 children may suffer from an anxiety disorder.

A child's chances of having an anxiety disorder are increased if their parents have an anxiety disorder.

Almost a third of 6-12 year old children diagnosed with major depression will, within a few years, develop bipolar disorders.

Approximately 40% of the children & teens in acute psychiatric hospitals suffer from bipolar disorder.

Approximately 1%-6% of school age children have Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).

ODD is more common in prepubescent boys. After puberty both genders are equally affected.

Schizophrenia is rare in children under the age of 12.

Schizophrenia will affect approximately 1 out of 1,000 adolescents.

As many as 1 in 10 children/adolescents may have conduct disorder.

Conduct disorder affects 11%-4% of children 9-17 years old.

Conduct disorder is more common in boys than girls.

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15 - 24 year olds.

Suicide is the 6th leading cause of death for 5-15 year olds.

Approximately 90% of children who commit suicide have a mental disorder.

50% of children/youth within the child welfare system have mental health problems.

85% of children/ youth in the child welfare system do not receive the mental health services they need.

79% of children who have private health insurance /73% with public health insurance have unmet mental health needs.

1 in every 100-200 adolescent girls are affected by Anorexia.

Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents.

Approximately 1 in 10 cases of Anorexia will lead to death from cardiac arrest, suicide, or starvation.

Approximately 5%-10% of those diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia are male.

Anorexics are up to 10 times more likely to die because of their illness

15% of young US women not diagnosed with an eating disorder display substantially disordered eating behaviors and attitudes.

Estimated: 11% of high school students have been diagnosed with an eating disorder.

The onset of Binge Eating Disorder usually occurs during the late adolescence or in the early twenties.


Facts, Signs and Symptoms for Children:


Resources:


See also:
Adult Mental Health Statistics


Compiled from the following sites:
http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/children-s-mental-health/children-s-mental-health-statistics

http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/resources_for_families/child_and_adolescent_mental_illness_statistics
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1229 http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db08.pdf
http://www.eatingdisorderinfo.org/Resources/EatingDisordersStatistics.aspx
http://www.nmha.org/ http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_687.html
picture source:

Morning Ritual: Eating Disorder and Body Image Poetry



I brush my teeth
head dipped
staring at
the toothpaste trail

so that I cannot see you

I fill my head
with humming
a mental tally of chores
counting numbers

to drown out your voice

I sidestep your duplicate
in the hallway
and the bedroom
as I get ready

you whisper of my imperfection

a soft buzz
a glimpse
I pretend I do not hear
I pretend I do not see

.... I pretend I am not her
anonymous




Be featured on Weighing The Facts: Share Your Poetry and Writings



Recovery Quote Of The Week: May 4th, 2010


If we really love ourselves, everything in our life works.
Louise L. Hay



Picture source:

Children's Mental Health Awareness Day 2010


Thursday, May 6th, is the fifth annual National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day.

Serious emotional and mental health disorders in children are treatable. Treatment is essential to a child's overall health and well-being. Children and their families should not have to face these challenges with shame but with dignity, support, understanding, and acceptance.


The goal of Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is to promote positive mental health from birth to adulthood:
  • to raise awareness of effective programs for children's mental health needs
  • to demonstrate how children's mental health initiatives promote positive youth development, recovery, and resilience
  • to show how children with mental health needs thrive in their communities.

SAMHSA explains:

The overall message of Awareness Day is that children and youth with mental health needs and their families can thrive if provided with the services and supports they need. Children's mental health initiatives promote positive youth development, prevention, recovery, and resilience for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families. It is a goal of children's mental health initiatives to transform the mental health service delivery system for children and youth with mental health needs and their families. In 2010, Awareness Day will mark its 5th anniversary, as well as a first-time focus at the national level on the topic of early childhood. The key message for 2010 is that "positive mental health is essential to a child's healthy development from birth."

By shining a spotlight on early childhood, Awareness Day efforts will encourage the following actions:

  • Integrate mental health into every environment that impacts child development from birth
  • Nurture the social and emotional well-being of children from birth
  • Look for and discuss milestones of a child's social and emotional development from birth


compiled from links above & the following sources:
http://www.samhsa.gov/index.aspx


picture source:

Mental Health Statistics and Resources



It is estimated that approximately 1 out of 4 U.S. adults (26%), 18 years of age and older, suffer from a mental disorder. That's 57.7 million people, according to the 2004 census.

Only 30% will seek/carry through with treatment.

Approximately 6% (1 in 17) suffer from a serious mental illness.

Nearly half of those with a mental disorder (45%) meet the criteria for 2 or more disorders at a given time.

In the US and Canada mental disorders are the leading cause for disability for people ages 14-44.

1 in 5 families are affected by mental illness.

Only 7% of all health-care expenditures are designated for mental health disorders.

Approximately half of mental disorders will occur before the age of 14.

10% of children and adolescents suffer from mental illness that is severe enough to cause some level of impairment.

Less than 1/3 of adults and 1/2 of children with a diagnosable mental disorder receive any treatment in a given year.

Approximately 20% of children (1 in 5) with a mental illness will receive mental health services.

16% of incarcerated adults suffer from a serious mental illness.

50% to 75% of juveniles in justice facilities suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder.

Depression ranks as the #1 cause of disability worldwide.

People between the ages of 15 and 24 are most likely to experience a major depressive episode.

Substance abuse affects 50-60% of those with severe mental disorders.

20% of ailments that Americans seek a doctor's care for are due to some form of anxiety disorder.

Schizophrenic disorders affect 2 million Americans, with 300,000 new cases occurring each year.

Approximately 1/4 of the elderly labeled as senile actually suffer from a form of mental illness that can be treated effectively.

The 3rd leading cause of death for those between the ages of 15 and 24 is suicide.

Men are more likely to suffer from personality disorders and drug and alcohol abuse.

Women are at higher risk of suffering from anxiety disorders and depression.

Data reveals that the "disease burden" of mental health issues is 15%, which exceeds the disease burden of all forms of cancer combined.

Mental Health Resources: Hotlines, Organizations, Websites


MHA (Mental Health America)

Finding Help
Finding Treatment
Parity Laws
FAQS


US Dept Of Health And Human Services

Children and Families
Organizations and Financing
Resources


NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Eating Disorders
Bipolar Disorder
Major Depression
Schizophrenia
Borderline Personality Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
More: By Illness
Find Support


National Institute Of Mental Health

Outreach Partnership Program


Prescription Assistance Programs

Needy Meds
RX Assist
Partnership For Prescription Assistance
NAMI Prescription Assistance Programs
Merck Programs For Those In Need
The Access Project
Disability Resources Org
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
MHA Prescription Payment Assistance

More Information:
CDC PrevalenceData Search by State
CDC US Fast Stats
CDC Mental Health Organizations by State
CDC Trauma and Disaster Mental Health Resources



compiled from the follow sources and linked above:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/statistics/index.shtml http://www.mhag.org/mental_health_facts.cfm
http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/mental_health_facts/en/index.html
http://www.naminh.org/action-facts-myths.php
weighingthefacts.blogspot.com http://www.umm.edu/mentalhealth/facts.htm
picture source:flickr.com commons