People with mental health conditions are 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crimes, the more severe the mental health condition, the more likely it becomes.³

Youth with Mental Health Conditions

A lack of mental health services for children and teenagers is a major problem around the world with serious consequences. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for people aged 10–24 and the 2nd leading cause for youth 15 to 24 years old.¹⁰

For adults concerned about a child

Resources for young people

Youth aged 13-24 with mental health condition

In the juvenile justice system

Who dropout of school aged 14-21

Aged 8-15 who received mental health care

Child suicides due to mental illness

10. Data sourced from National Alliance on Mental Illness

woman with soft purple brunette curls looks with sorrow at camera in selfie with pink flowers in the background

Am I Scared or Is It Grief? – Uncovering the Sad Feeling

June 18, 2022

I used to feel this sad and heavy pain in my gut all the time. At times I could name it, pinpoint where the sad feeling started. Most of the time it just felt bad, at best a sign that something was off. Maybe a warning to tell me a memory was trying to be processed,…

Shame, Alcoholism, Stigma, and Suicide

April 29, 2022

Conventional addiction treatment suggests we have to let people hit rock bottom before we can help them. But what happens if rock bottom is dying from suicide?

Stop Blaming Mental Illness for Gun-Related Violence

April 29, 2022

With painkillers like OxyContin, the overdose reversal drug naloxone, and detox/maintenance medications like Suboxone, the pharmaceutical industry is making a profit off people addicted to opioid at every stage. Opioids are highly addictive and sometimes, especially in combination with other drugs, deadly.

Childhood Trauma, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and Plastic Surgery Addiction

April 28, 2022

Image of protest, two visible signs say "Decolonize your minds" and "Black Live Matters"

How to Be Less of a Jerk – Part 2 – Admit Racism

June 9, 2020

Stop getting offended when someone calls you white, part of white supremacy, a recipient of white privilege, or even *gasp* racist. Instead, try this: hush up, listen and learn.

Be Less of a Jerk 101: Racism Crash Course

June 8, 2020

Stop getting offended when someone calls you white, part of white supremacy, a recipient of white privilege, or even *gasp* racist. Instead, try this: hush up, listen and learn.

Depression Is My Monster

December 1, 2019

Depression is growing bigger, having eaten Alice’s fantasies. It’s the demon in Spirited Away. A monster glutinous for pain.

I Deserve Respect

November 30, 2019

The truth is: You can probably make me feel bad. You can probably succeed in making me cry or have an anxiety attack. I might be incapacitated by it. But I’ll pull through, I always do.

Woman with mascara running holds a sign in front of her face with a smile on it.

Sometimes I Feel Ashamed of My Mental Health

November 29, 2019

I think I should be different by now. That I should be better by now. And I don’t want to reveal the extent of my struggle because I feel ashamed. I’m embarrassed.

No, You Aren’t a Drug Addict If You Take Antidepressants

November 28, 2019

Addiction or dependence? Words have meaning — and when it comes to something as serious as addiction, getting them right matters.

Economics

Mental illness is the most costly health issue on Earth.⁸

2010 cost in USD

Estimated cost in USD by 2030

Incarcerated People

Mental illness among the prison population of the United States.⁹

Female state prisoners with mental disorders

Male state prisoners with mental disorders

7. Source: Medscape
8. Source: Mentalhealth.gov
9. Source: World Health Organization & World Economic Forum

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Disruptive Symptoms

Symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are distressing and disruptive to a person's life.⁴

Flashbacks triggered by reminders of the event. The trauma is re-experienced and can even re-traumatize the person.

Hyper arousal resulting in angry outbursts, sleep deprivation, and a constant feeling of being on edge.

Easily startled, an immediate response to slightly surprising stimuli. This is not the same as being triggered by situations that remind the person of their trauma.

Difficulty concentrating, terrifying thoughts, nightmares, and loss of interest in activities. Work and other normal tasks become difficult.

Military Combat

Veterans who experience combat are much more likely than the general population to have PTSD in a given year. The rate varies by operation, in the most recent military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan the frequency is upwards of 20% of veterans.⁵

of people will have PTSD in their lifetime.

of men

of women

estimate of combat vets

Not Just Veterans

It can happen to anyone, not just people who experience combat, 7-8 percent of the population will have PTSD at some point in their lives.⁵

Cis Gender Disparities

PTSD is more likely to develop in women than men. Sexual assault is more likely to lead to PTSD than other traumatic events, and sexual assault happens more frequently to women.⁶

Nonbinary Genders

People with non-cis genders are at the highest risk for PTSD and other anxiety disorders. The stigma of non-cis genders is compounded by the stigma of mental illness (gender identity has nothing to do with mental illness).⁷

Cultivating Gratitude

One of the main reasons people with mental health issues don’t seek health is because of shame, stigma, and discrimination. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an estimated 66 percent of people with diagnosable mental disorders do not try and get help.

Depression is not about your life circumstances, while stressful situations can exaggerate or even bring on a mental illness, without proper care no matter how wonderful your life situation is you will still suffer from the disease.

My saving grace has been learning to cultivate gratitude, even in smallest measure. No matter how down and out you are, there are ways to access serenity during the darkest days of trauma.