Mental disorders affect 26 percent of Americans ages 18 and older one in four adults, or (when applied to 2004 U.S. Census population estimates) 57.7 million people.
That means there is a good chance that someone with whom you work, someone in your neighborhood, someone you know from church or other fellowships or your social scene, or someone in your family, has a mental disorder. It could be a physician, a pastor, a best friend, a husband or wife, a parent, a son or daughter.
Some disorders -- major depression, panic and anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder have become more familiar having received a bit more exposure in the media. So many brilliant creative people have suffered or still suffer from depression Art Buchwald, Drew Carey, and Jim Carrey (all humorists), Billy Joel, James Taylor and Janet Jackson (musicians), Ashley Judd and Gwyneth Paltrow (actors). Remember Tony Sopranos panic attacks that necessitated visits to his therapist? If you watch Monk, which has received numerous awards, you have an idea of how a person with OCD can apply his quirks to highly skilled work.
Yet people with mental disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (now the terminology is reverting back to manic-depressive disorder), and personality disorders are so stigmatized that they may not want to admit they need help. In fact, people are afraid of these diseases, which can be controlled with proper medication and supportive therapy.
