| Mental illness can strike anyone! It knows no age | | | | receiving compassion and acceptance, people with |
| limits, economic status, race, creed or color. During | | | | mental illnesses may experience hostility, |
| the course of a year, more than 54 million Americans | | | | discrimination, and stigma.Why does stigma still |
| are affected by one or more mental disorders.Medical | | | | exist?Unfortunately, the media is responsible for |
| science has made incredible progress over the last | | | | many of the misconceptions which persist about |
| century in helping us understand, curing and eliminating | | | | people with mental illnesses. Newspapers, in particular, |
| the causes of many diseases including mental illnesses. | | | | often stress a history of mental illness in the |
| However, while doctors continue to solve some of | | | | backgrounds of people who commit crimes of |
| the mysteries of the brain, many of its functions | | | | violence.Newspapers, in particular, often stress a |
| remain a puzzle.Even at the leading research centers, | | | | history of mental illness in the backgrounds of people |
| no one fully understands how the brain works or | | | | who commit crimes of violence. Television news |
| why it malfunctions. However, researchers have | | | | programs frequently sensationalize crimes where |
| determined that many mental illnesses are probably | | | | persons with mental illnesses are involved.Comedians |
| the result of chemical imbalances in the brain. These | | | | make fun of people with mental illnesses, using their |
| imbalances may be inherited, or may develop | | | | disabilities as a source of humor. Also, national |
| because of excessive stress or substance abuse.It is | | | | advertisers use stigmatizing images as promotional |
| sometimes easy to forget that our brain, like all of | | | | gimmicks to sell products.Ironically, the media also |
| our other organs, is vulnerable to disease. People with | | | | offers our best hope for eradicating stigma because |
| mental illnesses often exhibit many types of | | | | of its power to educate and influence public |
| behaviors such as extreme sadness and irritability, | | | | opinion.What Is A Mental Illness?A mental illness is a |
| and in more severe cases, they may also suffer | | | | disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in |
| from hallucinations and total withdrawal. Instead of | | | | thinking, perception and behavior. |