Even in Darkness . . .

By -
stained glass window 
Ivinson Mansion
Laramie, WY


                          •  there is light

                          •  there is hope

                          •  there is help


May is Mental Health Awareness month

Here is some helpful information from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing about mental health and substance use in America:

1 in 5 adults (52.9 million adults) in the U.S. experienced mental illness in 2020.

40.3 million people aged 12 or over had a substance use disorder in 2020.

32.1% of U.S. adults with mental illness also experienced a substance use disorder in 2020.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people aged 10-34.

1 in 3 young adults (aged 18-25) in the U.S. experienced mental illness in 2020.

1 in 6 adolescents (aged 12-17) in the U.S. experienced a major depressive episode in 2020.

54% of adults with mental illness did not receive treatment in 2020.

The average delay between symptom onset and treatment for mental illness is 11 years.


Educate yourself, so you can help someone who may be struggling.

Comments

  1. SaraMay 12, 2022 at 7:24 AM

    Wonderful post Nancy! Thank you. My mother suffered from debilitating mental illness, but refused to seek any help. I'm thankful that people today accept more that it is an illness, not a weakness.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Changes in the windMay 12, 2022 at 7:33 AM

    The stained glass is beautiful.

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  3. BetsyMay 12, 2022 at 8:10 AM

    Such a beautiful stained glass window. I have known so many throughout my life that suffer from mental illness but are afraid to reach out for help because of the stigma. Thank you for shareing this information today.
    Blessings and hugs,
    Betsy

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  4. VeraMay 12, 2022 at 9:20 AM

    Staggering statistics. I receive daily emails from my HR department with tips for helping those in need, etc. Beautiful window Nancy.

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  5. AraigneeMay 12, 2022 at 10:18 AM

    And it's all only been made worse by the state of the world today. I know my anxiety has been off the charts since Covid. I always thought I was pretty tough but not anymore.

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  6. Far Side of FiftyMay 12, 2022 at 10:50 AM

    Some people have so much to live for but depression takes them away or causes them to seek alcohol or drugs to escape or suicide. I just read about Naomi Judd's suicide by a weapon...we had a dear friend who turned a pistol on himself when his wife was gone to the grocery store and my cousins husband a Vietnam Veteran took his life when his wife and children were in the next room..so sad. Seems people are more depressed now a days than years ago but maybe that is relative to population numbers.

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  7. JennyMay 12, 2022 at 2:44 PM

    Those statistics make sad reading dont they. It's much the same over here, sadly.

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  8. BonnieMay 13, 2022 at 6:49 AM

    Thanks for highlighting this info. Another factoid is there aren’t enough trained people to help those in need. I’ve e heard many stories of people needing help and being turned away because no beds are available or staff. One of our local governments has now got two police teams that include mental health members. There success rate is amazing. Hopefully other jurisdictions will follow suit.

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  9. Judy S.May 14, 2022 at 12:22 PM

    That's a beautiful stained glass window! Great post with lots of important info.

    ReplyDelete

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