Every year, on October 10, World Mental Health Day helps bring awareness to mental illnesses and helps people recognize warning signs in themselves and in others. Mental illnesses affect 1 in 5 Americans every year, and there is no shame in having one. Admitting you are having trouble is the first step to recovery.
What Is World Mental Health Day?
World Mental Health Day 2019 focuses on suicide prevention. Suicide is the leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 18 and 24, and it is the 10th leading cause of death worldwide. People self-harm for many reasons, and when you struggle with mental illness, taking your own life may feel like the only way out.
This day raises awareness and reminds you that you are never alone. Whatever you’re going through, there are others who will help support you through your pain and walk alongside you on your way to recovery.
Mental illness often plays a large role in substance abuse because coping with depression, anxiety, trauma, schizophrenia, and other disorders can feel impossible on your own. Drugs and alcohol may become the only way you feel like you can find peace, even if it’s only for a few hours at a time.
At our facility, we encourage women to get in touch with themselves and their struggles. Facing your mental health head-on is scary, but you don’t have to do it alone. With licensed therapists and passionate staff, we help clients overcome substance abuse and treat mental illness through a variety of programs.
What Is a Mental Illness?
Any condition that affects your ability to function and relate to others can be considered a mental illness. Therapists and doctors use a handbook called the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” to screen their clients and make diagnoses.
How do you know if you have a mental illness? It can be tricky. Everyone’s experience is unique even for those who have the same condition. For example, someone may have an alcohol dependency and depression but never feel suicidal while someone who is addicted to alcohol uses it to cope with their depression only to find that their substance abuse makes them more suicidal.
No matter how long you’ve been struggling, you aren’t a lost cause. There is always hope. You just have to reach out for it. World Mental Health Day 2019 is all about “40 seconds to action.” Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States takes his or her own life. In 40 seconds, you can make the decision to save yours.
Warning Signs of Mental Illness
There are many different types of mental disorders that it would be impossible to write a general list of symptoms for all of them. However, we do know that some of the most common mental illnesses that affect substance abuse are depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
Here are some key signs that you may need to seek help for your mental health:
- Feeling sad, frustrated and hopeless almost all day, every day
- Having difficulty falling asleep due to racing thoughts, sadness or worry
- Using drugs or alcohol to cope with painful memories, unwanted thoughts and uncomfortable feelings
- Feeling too tired to eat or bathe
- Being unable to keep up with work and other responsibilities
- Extremely high or low moods
- Constantly feeling stressed, angry, anxious or paranoid
Substance abuse may seem like a way to cope with mental illness, but it only masks your problems. Even more alarming, drugs and alcohol can actually worsen the symptoms of many mental illnesses, leaving you feeling more out of control.
Our facility offers mental health treatment in North Carolina for women for substance abuse and mental illnesses that happen together, which is called a dual diagnosis. Through one-on-one therapy, group counseling, experiential therapy, and a strong clinical approach, we can help you find yourself again, one day at a time.
Contact The Willows at Red Oak Recovery today at 855.773.0614 to learn how our treatment plans can help you finally find relief from your mental health struggles.
