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October 4 through October 10, 2015 is Mental Illness Awareness Week. It is also a perfect time to take the “StigmaFree Pledge” launched by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) earlier this year. The pledge involves three basic steps that can be found at http://www.nami.org/stigmafree.

Learn about mental health and educate others

See the person not the illness—strive to listen and understand

Take action, spread the word, raise awareness and make a difference

Mental illness is a medical condition, but one that often is surrounded by silence or stereotypes that discourage people from getting help if they need it.

One in five adults experiences a mental illness in any given year. Those problems can contribute to onset of more serious long-term conditions, such as major depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

Approximately one-half of chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14 and three-quarters by age 24. Unfortunately, long delays−sometimes decades−often occur between the time symptoms first appear and when people get help.

Trevor’s Team – NAMI Green County will be walking for the seventh consecutive year on Sunday, October 4, 2015, in Madison, WI, at Olin Turville Park. Please join us to help eliminate the stigma involved with mental health disorders. If you cannot walk and would like to donate, please contact Conni Bigler at (608) 558-9169 or clbigler@gmail.com.

The team was formed in October of 2009, two years after Trevor took his life. Trevor had been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in his late teens. “When we lost Trevor, I was not aware of how depressed he was or that he was living out of his car. He had just returned from a trip to Mexico. While he was gone, I wondered if he would come back and I didn’t know how to help him.” His mother Conni Bigler also states, “We had been advised that NAMI might help us.” Bigler joined NAMI Green County just after her son’s death and is currently on the Board of Directors. In the coming school year, NAMI Green County hopes to bring “Ending The Silence” to Green County high school classrooms.

If nothing else during Mental Illness Awareness Week, please learn to recognize early symptoms of mental illness and the importance of talking with a doctor about any concerns. Early identification and treatment can make a big difference for successful management of a condition.

For example, major depression is a mood disorder that is more serious than “feeling blue” or temporary sadness. Be alert to any combination of the following symptoms:

Depressed mood (sadness)

Poor concentration

Insomnia

Fatigue

Disturbance of appetite

Feelings of guilt

Thoughts of suicide

Bipolar disorder involves cycles of both depression and mania. It is different from normal “ups and downs” that many people experience. It involves dramatic shifts in mood, energy and ability to think clearly. Symptoms also are not the same in everyone; some people may experience intense “highs,” while others primarily experience depression. Mania involves combinations of the following symptoms:

Euphoria

Surges of energy

Reduced need for sleep

Grandiosity

Talkativeness

Extreme irritability

Agitation

Pleasure-seeking

Increased risk-taking behavior

Schizophrenia is a different type of mental illness, but can include features of mood disorders. It affects a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions and relate to other people. Untreated, it also may include psychosis—a loss of contact with reality. Symptoms include:

Difficulty with memory

Difficulty in organizing thoughts

Lack of content in speech

Emotional flatness

Inability to start or follow through with activities

Inability to experience pleasure

Delusions

Hallucinations

Other types of mental illness include attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders (including posttraumatic stress disorder) and borderline personality disorder. Mental Illness Awareness Week is a time to learn about them all.

You can find NAMI Green County at namigreencounty.org and on Facebook.

Anyone who experiences symptoms of mental illness should see a doctor to discuss their symptoms and be checked for physical conditions to which they may be related. The next step might be referral to mental health specialist. A range of treatment options exist.

During Mental Illness Awareness Week, please take the first step by taking the StigmaFree Pledge. Help yourself, your family, your friends and your community. Help make a difference by saving lives and supporting recovery.