Mental Illness

Mental Illness

In the world we live in today there is a stigma attached to those who have been diagnosed or those who we perceive to be mentally ill. We tend to either overlook or distance ourselves from them and  sometimes refer to them as “crazy.”

In some instances, they are portrayed as violent in the media and in movies which causes the average person to be afraid of them. Even family members tend to be ashamed of them which is one of the reasons why they do not always receive the care they deserve. 

Statistics show that there are over 450 million people in the world are mentally ill and approximately 60 percent of them do not receive care.  In developing countries, approximately 90 percent of the mentally ill population do not receive care. In 2010 2.5 trillion dollars was spent on the mentally ill and this figure is supposed to increase to 6 trillion by the year 2030. It should be noted that two-thirds of this amount goes towards disability and loss of work.  In the UK mental health expenses accounts for 23 percent of the economic burden however they only receive 13 percent which is not nearly enough to take care of the needs of the mentally ill.

Almost everyone has a relative, friend or knows someone who suffered from mental illness and we all need to remember that they are human and they need the care and attention that needs when they have been diagnosed with an illness. The last thing you need to do is become angry, impatient and distance yourself from them. They need our love, patience, and support.