43.8 Million adults experience mental illness in a given year
1 in 100 American adults live with Schizophrenia
2.6% of American adults live with bipolar disorder
6.9% of American adults live with major depression
18.1% of American adults live with anxiety disorder
DID you know that Depression is the number 1 leading cause of disability worldwide, and is a major contributor to the global burden of disease? (1999, National Alliance on Mental Health, nami.org).
These statistics right here show us that this is a serious crisis that needs to stop being ignored. What's even more concerning is the fact that this is from a few years ago, which means it can only be worse since our country has done nothing to change this! We can be a part of the change if we all stand together. Each one of us knows someone (ourselves, family member, friends, co-workers) who struggles with mental illness. I don't know about you guys but I'm tired of losing friend to overdoses caused by the lack of mental health services! This needs to become a priority because lets face, it life is not getting any easier!! Let's pave the way for our children and grandchildren to get the mental health services that our generation was denied.