...is a biological
brain disease, just like diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
...strikes approximately
one in four Americans between the ages of 15 and 54.
...does not discriminate
- it can strike men and women, it can affect people of all ages,
races, ethnic groups and socio-economic classes.
...causes those it affects
to more often become victims of violence than being violent
themselves.
...cannot be cured but
can be treated with medications.
...does not make it
impossible to play sports, hang out with others and lead a normal
life.
Also
know that...
...people who threaten
suicide should always be taken seriously. Threats
should be reported to a counselor, teacher or parent.
...television, movies,
and media often dramatize mental illness rather than portraying
the real life experiences of mental illness.
...the best way to help
someone with mental illness is to educate yourself about
that illness.
...persons with mental
illness are treated differently by family and friends because they
do not understand the illness.
The
Three Types of Major Mental Illness and their Symptoms
SCHIZOPHRENIA
DEPRESSION
MANIC DEPRESSION (BI-POLAR)
•hearing
voices
•change
in sleep & diet
•loss
of interest in activites
•seeing
things that don't exist
•suicidal
thoughts
•inappropriate
sexual behavior(promiscuity)
•paranoia-i.e.,
radio-sent messages
•feeling
as if bad "hangs-on" day after day
•drastic
mood swings
•not
good with appreciation of reality
•change
in usual likes
•hypo-active
after 3-4 months of depression
Some
Recommended Reading or Videos
Straight Talk
About Mental Illness,
is a video tape set in a middle-high school setting. It is excellent
for students. This video comes with a workbook and lesson plans
for students.(Available in the NAMI-KC Library)
Nothing to be
Ashamed Of: Growing Up With Mental Illness in Your Family,
by Shirley H. Dinner, Ph.D., Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, New
York, 1989.
The Girl with
the Crazy Brother, by Betty Hyland, Franklin Watts, New
York, 1987.
No One Saw My
Pain, Dr. Andrew Slaby & Lili Frank Garfinkel
Ten
Things Families Want Professionals to Know
Mental illness is often with us 24 hours a day as we care for our loved
one. We may need help nights, holidays, or on weekends, not just from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Recognize
and respect the tremendous cost, both personal and financial, borne
by families struggling with mental illness.
Stay abreast of advances in neurobiology and psychopharmacology and
share this information with us. Stay up-to-date about new medications
and treatments, they offer vital hope.
Do
not patronize, disregard, or blame us for our loved one's illness. We
are usually doing the best we can under trying circumstances. Outdated
psychiatric theories that blame schizophrenia on defective parenting
or disturbed family dynamics distress us, diminish our ability to cope,
and work against our efforts to care for our ill family member.
Remember
that the mental health system can be terribly frustrating. We often
endure long waiting lists for treatment and seemingly endless paperwork.
It is easy to lose the human touch in the shuffle of patients.
Help
us to be well-informed, so we can be effective allies in treatment.
We need to learn how to care for a mentally ill person and how to coordinate
our efforts with other members of the treatment team.
Help us to learn sophisticated, up-to-date methods for coping with our
mentally ill loved one, such as effective communication skills and procedures
for improving compliance with the prescribed medication.
We
need to be told what resources are available in our community or region,
how to access entitlements, and where the nearest family self-help group
meets. Work in collaboration with families through your professional
association to help us create the kinds of services you know we need.
For
our safety, we must be taught how to manage out-of-control behavior
and how to de-escalate high levels of anger.
Families
new to the mental health system need to know they are not alone. As
professionals, you can help your patients and their families by telling
them about the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
Mental illness is often with us 24 hours a day as we care for our loved
one. We may need help nights, holidays, or on weekends, not just from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Recognize
and respect the tremendous cost, both personal and financial, borne
by families struggling with mental illness.
Stay abreast of advances in neurobiology and psychopharmacology and
share this information with us. Stay up-to-date about new medications
and treatments, they offer vital hope.
Do
not patronize, disregard, or blame us for our loved one's illness. We
are usually doing the best we can under trying circumstances. Outdated
psychiatric theories that blame schizophrenia on defective parenting
or disturbed family dynamics distress us, diminish our ability to cope,
and work against our efforts to care for our ill family member.
Remember
that the mental health system can be terribly frustrating. We often
endure long waiting lists for treatment and seemingly endless paperwork.
It is easy to lose the human touch in the shuffle of patients.
Help
us to be well-informed, so we can be effective allies in treatment.
We need to learn how to care for a mentally ill person and how to coordinate
our efforts with other members of the treatment team. 
Help us to learn sophisticated, up-to-date methods for coping with our
mentally ill loved one, such as effective communication skills and procedures
for improving compliance with the prescribed medication. 
We
need to be told what resources are available in our community or region,
how to access entitlements, and where the nearest family self-help group
meets. Work in collaboration with families through your professional
association to help us create the kinds of services you know we need.
For
our safety, we must be taught how to manage out-of-control behavior
and how to de-escalate high levels of anger.
Families
new to the mental health system need to know they are not alone. As
professionals, you can help your patients and their families by telling
them about the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. 
