Everyone feels worried, anxious, sad or stressed sometimes. But with
a mental
illness, these feelings do not go away and are severe enough to
interfere with
your daily life. It can make it hard to meet and keep
friends, hold a job or enjoy
your life.
Mental illnesses are common – they affect about one in five families
in the U.S.
It is not your fault if you have one. These disorders –
depression, phobias, bipolar
disorder, schizophrenia and many others -
are real diseases that you cannot will
or wish away. Fortunately, they
are often treatable. Medicines and therapy can
improve the life of most
people with mental illnesses.
Donald Fulghum





