People who are mentally healthy feel good about themselves and comfortable with others. They are also able to deal with the demands, challenges, and changes in everyday life.
Everyone, regardless of age, race, sex, or economic status, is subject to emotional upsets. You can feel down, angry, or anxious in response to a variety of things. Feelings like these can come and go quite often. When these feelings are disturbing, interfere with daily life, and/or linger for weeks or months, they may signal a problem that requires professional assistance. According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), at any given time, approximately 40 million Americans (about 1 in 6) experience a mental disorder that interferes with employment and/or daily life.
Mental Health Facts
About 25% of the people who
seek medical help for physical problems actually have troubled emotions.
The most common reasons people seek mental
health treatment are for depression and anxiety.
Between 8 and 14 million Americans suffer
from depression each year.
Approximately 80 to 90% of all depressed
people respond to treatment.
Approximately 10% of Americans have
phobias.
12.5 million Americans are drug abusers or
are chemically dependent.
13 million are dependent on alcohol. (This
includes 3 million children.)
Nearly 25% of the elderly who are thought
to be senile actually suffer some form of mental illness that can be treated 
effectively.
Therapy does not have to take a long time.
Almost one-half of the people who enter therapy will complete it in 7 sessions or less.
HEALTH AT HOME - Your Complete Guide to Symptoms, Solutions, and Self-Care © 1999 by Don R. Powell. American Institute for Preventive Medicine.
Date updated 02/01/99