One in five people have a mental illness

OCCMHA
Did you know that one in five people experience a mental illness?

That's a lot.

This is more than lung cancer (which affects one in 14 people), breast cancer (which affects one in eight women) or Type 2 Diabetes (which affects one in 10 people).

I'm not trying to say these physical illnesses aren't important or deadly. Because they are. But why is it that mental illness is not treated with the same severity, just because it's something people deal with mentally instead of physically? After all, this is something 20 percent of people suffer from on a daily basis. So, shouldn't we make a big deal about it.


On average, people living with a serious mental health illness live 25 years less than the rest of the population, according to OCCMHA.  One reason is that less than one-third of adults and less than one-half of children with a diagnosed illness receive treatment.

Everyday, and this week especially, Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority (OCCMHA) are trying to get people to take mental health seriously. They are showing people that it IS a big deal.

This week, across the nation, is Mental Illness Awareness Week.

OCCMHA is observing the week with several posts, tweets and informational links on social media sites, raising awareness about mental health. 

 Follow them on Twitter. For more information about OCCMHA call 800-341-2003 or visit www.occmha.org. 

Monica's goal is to raise awareness about suicide and help erase the stigma associated with mental illness. In 2012, she won first place in News Enterprise Reporting by the Michigan Press Association for her series on suicide in the community, and in 2013, was named “Digital Innovator of the Year” by the Local Media Association. In 2019, she received the Ambassador Award from the suicide prevention nonprofit Six Feet Over. She started the blog Meant to Live to help others by sharing signs of depression, reasons to live, resources, suicide and bullying prevention groups, other people’s stories and memorials. She especially wants to show people that they are not alone.

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