People can recover and live productive lives.

Mental Illness Facts

Severe mental illnesses are:

• Neurobiological brain disorders that profoundly disrupt a person's ability to think, feel & relate to others & their environment.
• Caused by chemical imbalances in the way the brain metabolizes neuro­transmitters.
• More common than cancer, diabetes or heart disease. "One in every four people will experience a mental illness in their lifetime." (American Medical Association.)
• Treatable. Prompt and appropriate treatment improves the long-term outlook, reduces symptoms and the risk of relapse.

Warning Signs

• Marked personality change
• Confused thinking; strange or grandiose ideas
• Out of touch with reality
• Prolonged severe depression, apathy or extreme highs and lows
• Excessive anxieties, fears or suspiciousness; blaming others; paranoia
• Withdrawal from society, friendlessness; abnormal self-centeredness
• Denial of obvious problems; strong resistance to help
• Thinking or talking about attempting suicide
• Marked changes in eating or sleeping patterns
• Anger or hostility out of proportion to the situation
• Delusions; hallucinations; voices
• Abuse of alcohol or drugs
• Growing inability to cope with problems; school, job or personal needs
• Obsessions or compulsions