October 6-12 is Mental Illness Awareness Week- I encourage each of you at some point this week to do a little investigative research to educate yourself about this condition. Most of us have assumptions or stigmas in our minds about those affected by mental illness, but in reality, 1 in 4 American’s live with mental illness om a given year. Moreover, there are a great deal of students that we serve who are affected by one or more than one illness. These may include:
- Anxiety Disorders
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
- Bipolar Disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Depression
- Dissociative Disorders
- Dual Diagnosis: Substance Abuse and Mental Illness
- Eating Disorders
There are many ways to educate yourself and become better versed in the characteristics and behaviors of mental illness. Again, I encourage you to become more aware of these so we can end the negative stigmas our society has attached to individuals living with a MI.
What Can You Do? You might:
Read a book:
- The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn Saks
- Crazy by Pete Earley
- Divided Minds by Pamela Spiro Wagner and Carolyn S. Spiro, M.D.
- The Soloist by Steve Lopez
Watch a movie (and read a fact sheet about the mental illness that’s part of the plot):
- A Beautiful Mind
- Canvas
- Silver Lining Playbook
- The Soloist
Visit these sites:
www.nami.org
https://www.bringchange2mind.org/
If you would like to talk about these or other concerns, call us today! We are a resource for you!
Information in this blog post was brought to you by Ms. Erin Kline, Special Education Coordinator.