It’s long been a hush-hush topic, and the shame continues today, but mental illness, in one form or another, affects at least tens of millions of Americans. Honoring National Mental Health Month, Independence-4-Seniors Home Care in Chicago would like to aid families wrestling with mental illness to help break the chains of silence, and especially, to urge them to search for treatments that can improve their quality of life.
Slowly but surely, movie stars and other people in the spotlight are starting to openly and vulnerably talk about their own troubles with such incapacitating sicknesses as anxiety and depression. Nevertheless, we still have a considerable ways to go. Much less understood and more negatively viewed conditions, such as psychosis and schizophrenia, remain covered over. In fact, research obtained from the National Institutes of Health demonstrates that a psychosis diagnosis is considered the most highly stigmatized and discriminated against form of mental health.
Unfortunately, this concern of stigmatization is leading to “a pervasive barrier that prevents many individuals in the U.S. from engaging in mental health care,” according to a 2014 literature review published in the Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services journal.
So, how can we help people who have mental health concerns feel comfortable in expressing their challenges, enabling them to be given the treatment they need? Quite a few mental health advocacy organizations are making advancements. For example, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has generated the Stigmafree Pledge that can help promote awareness and acceptance. And, the American Psychological Association (APA) has created an educational journal, Stigma and Health.
For more assistance with mental health issues and ways in which home care in Chicago can help, contact Independence-4-Senior Home Care.