Mental Health Facts

• 1 in 5 (46.6 million) adults in the United States experience a mental health condition in a given year.
• 1 in 25 (11.2 million) adults in the United States experience a serious mental illness in a given year.
• Approximately 46.6 million adults in the United States face the reality of managing a mental illness every day.
• Half of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% by age 24, but early intervention programs can help.
• Up to 90% of those who die by suicide have an underlying mental illness as revealed by psychological autopsy. 46% of those who die by suicide have a diagnosed mental illness.
• Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. With effective care, suicidal thoughts are treatable, and suicide is preventable.
• Individuals with mental health conditions face an average 11-year delay between experiencing symptoms and starting treatment.
• Common barriers to treatment include the cost of mental health care and insurance, prejudice and discrimination, and structural barriers like transportation.
• Even though most people can experience relief from symptoms and support for their recovery in treatment, less than half of the adults in the United States get the help they need.

WhyCare?

Care is a simple 4-letter word, but a powerful way to change lives for people affected by mental illness.
It’s an action. It’s a feeling. It’s a gift we give to ourselves and to each other. People feel loved when someone cares. People feel heard when someone cares. People recover when someone cares. Society changes when people care. Entire systems change when people care. For more than 40 years, NAMI has been a beacon of help and hope by providing the support, education and advocacy to ensure that all people affected by mental health conditions get the care they need and deserve. #NAMICares #WhyCare

Purpose of National Prevention Week

Monday May 13^th-Friday May 17^th

The three primary goals of National Prevention Week are to:

·       Involve communities in raising awareness of substance use and mental health issues and in implementing prevention strategies, and showcasing effectiveness of evidence-based prevention programs;

·       Foster partnerships and collaborations with federal agencies and national organizations dedicated to improving public health; and

·       Promote and disseminate quality substance use prevention and mental health promotion resources and publications.

Each year, National Prevention Week includes daily themes to focus on major substance use and mental health topics. The 2019 daily themes are:

·       Monday, May 13: Preventing Prescription and Opioid Drug Misuse

Additionally, patients should properly discard unused or expired medications by following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines or visiting U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration collection sites.⁵⁵ In addition to describing their medical problem, patients should always inform their health care professionals about all the prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, and dietary and herbal supplements they are taking before they obtain any other medications.

·       Tuesday, May 14: Preventing Underage Drinking and Alcohol Misuse

Use These 5 Goals When Talking to Kids about Alcohol and Other Drugs

1. Show you disapprove of underage drinking and other drug misuse.

Over 80 percent of young people ages 10–18 say their parents are the leading influence on their decision whether to drink. Send a clear and strong message that you disapprove of underage drinking and misuse of other drugs.

2. Show you care about your child’s health, wellness, and success.

Young people are more likely to listen when they know you’re on their side. Reinforce why you don’t want your child to drink or use other drugs—because you want your child to be happy and safe. The conversation will go a lot better if you’re open and you show concern.

3. Show you’re a good source of information about alcohol and other drugs.

You want your child to make informed decisions about alcohol and other drugs with reliable information about their dangers. You don’t want your child to learn about alcohol and other drugs from unreliable sources. Establish yourself as a trustworthy source of information.

4. Show you’re paying attention and you’ll discourage risky behaviors.

Show you’re aware of what your child is up to, as young people are more likely to drink or use other drugs if they think no one will notice. Do this in a subtle way, without prying.

5. Build your child’s skills and strategies for avoiding underage drinking and drug use.

Even if you don’t think your child wants to drink or try other drugs, peer pressure is a powerful thing. Having a plan to avoid alcohol and drug use can help children make better choices. Talk with your child about what they would do if faced with a decision about alcohol and drugs, such as texting a code word to a family member or practicing how they’ll say “no thanks.”

Keep it low-key. Don’t worry, you don’t have to get everything across in one talk. Plan to have many short talks.

·       Wednesday, May 15: Preventing Illicit Drug Use and Youth Marijuana Use

Resources for Parents

Parents or other caregivers looking for resources and strategies to prevent, or stop, illicit drug use by adolescents, can visit the Partnership at DrugFree.org .

Get Smart About Drugs  is an online resource from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for parents. It includes research, news, quizzes, and videos to educate parents about how to identify and prevent drug abuse among children and young adults.

“Growing up Drug Free: A Parent’s Guide to Prevention” - PDF is a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education that provides information and research specifically for parents on why kids use drugs and how parents can be involved in helping them stay drug free.

·       Thursday, May 16: Preventing Youth Tobacco Use

■ Tell your children that most kids DON’T smoke.

■ Make your home and your car tobacco-free zones for everyone—family, friends, and visitors—and ban the use of all tobacco products.

■ Set a good example and don’t use tobacco yourself—it’s the best thing you can do.

■ Talk with your kids often about what nicotine addiction can cost them as they get older—and tell them you expect them to say no to tobacco.

■ Make sure your children’s schools enforce tobacco-free policies on campus and at all school-sponsored events.

■ If your child is using tobacco, get help to quit for him or her right away. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug, and even experimenting with cigarettes one time increases your child’s chance of being hooked for life. You can start by talking with your child’s doctor.

·       Friday, May 17: Preventing Suicide

Trying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be the signs of a mental illness isn't always easy. There's no easy test that can let someone know if there is mental illness or if actions and thoughts might be typical behaviors of a person or the result of a physical illness.

Each illness has its own symptoms, but common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following:

·       Excessive worrying or fear

·       Feeling excessively sad or low

·       Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning

·       Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria

·       Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger

·       Avoiding friends and social activities

·       Difficulties understanding or relating to other people

·       Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy

·       Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite

·       Changes in sex drive

·       Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don't exist in objective reality)

·       Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight” or anosognosia)

·       Abuse of substances like alcohol or drugs

·       Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)

·       Thinking about suicide

·       Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress

·       An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance

Mental health conditions can also begin to develop in young children. Because they’re still learning how to identify and talk about thoughts and emotions, their most obvious symptoms are behavioral. Symptoms in children may include the following:

·       Changes in school performance

·       Excessive worry or anxiety, for instance fighting to avoid bed or school

·       Hyperactive behavior

·       Frequent nightmares

·       Frequent disobedience or aggression

·       Frequent temper tantrums

Where To Get Help

Don’t be afraid to reach out if you or someone you know needs help. Learning all you can about mental health is an important first step.

Reach out to your health insurance, primary care doctor or state/country mental health authority for more resources.

Contact the NAMI HelpLine to find out what services and supports are available in your community. 

If you or someone you know needs helps now, you should immediately call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or call 911.

 Some dates to remember:  

 

The Local Prevention (LPC)

will be meeting the 4th Tuesday of every month at  Southbury Town Hall Room 201 from 6pm to 8pm. 

ANY community member is welcome and encouraged to join! 

The next meeting of the 2018-2019 season is  Tuesday, May 28th. 

Hope to see you there!!

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