May is National Mental Health Month

May is National Mental Health Month! Many people either know someone suffering with mental illness or suffer from a mental illness themselves.

There are many organizations that can help you with treatment, support and guidance in dealing with mental illness. One of the largest mental health advocacy groups is NAMI. The National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Here is some information from the National Alliance on Mental Illness that you can use to help get the resources you need.

• 1 in 5 people live with a mental health condition.
• Out of the 2 million people living in the Northern Virginia, 400,000 will experience a mental health condition in any given year.   And many more are family members and friend of someone who lives with a mental health condition
• Mental health conditions include: bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and many other diagnoses.
• There is typically 10 years between the emergence of symptoms and treatment!
• We can all reduce stigma and provide a safe space for people to reach out for help by better understanding mental health and remembering that having an illness or disorder does not define who a person is.
• With support and effective treatment—which is unique to each individual—there is hope!  Everyone can move towards wellness.
• FNAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) offers support groups, classes, educational presentations, a Help Line and much more for both individuals living with a mental health condition and family members--at no cost to the participants.
• These programs are a great way to learn more and to connect with other people who really “get it.”  And . . . you discover that you are not alone and there is hope!
• NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) has a thousand affiliates across the country.
• You can find your local affiliate by going to NAMI.org and searching under “Find My NAMI.”

Don't wait --- get help now.