Are we really happy with this lonely game we play?  Searching but not finding.... Understanding anyway....

What is normal anyway???
 
 

The number of people on the planet Earth is now...

Since you are on this page the number of people on Earth has grown with...
people
 
 
Really neat quotes that seem to have some relevancy:
 
"It's OK to eat fish 'cause they don't have any feelings."
  --Kurt Cobain, February 20, 1967-April 5 ?, 1994
"What sane person can live in this world and not be crazy"
Ursula K. Leguin
"Ordinarily he was insane, but he had lucid moments when he was merely stupid."
Henrich Heine
"Truly great madness can not be achieved without significant intelligence."
Henrick Tikkanen
"It is great to be young and insane."
Michael Keaton, Dream Team
"There was never a genius without a tincture of madness."
Aristotle
 
 
Mental illness is no laughing matter...
     Dealing with mental illness is not easy.  As a child growing up, I remember making snide remarks about people who suffered from this affliction.  Another memory deals with the family "secrets" - relatives who suffered from various psychological ailments.  My family occasionally joked about not wanting to inherit the "family curse" from the same genes that must have stricken them.
     My mother was a psychologist, so I was no stranger to psychoanalysis!  She constantly questioned the motive behind every action.  I remember sending her a picture that my son had drawn (when he was 4) and having her call me on the phone to see if he was okay.  She was alarmed because he had drawn a purple sun, but he only had three colors.  So, for the most part, in my youth I did not take mental illness seriously.
     Now in the middle of my life, I realize that mental illness is a very serious problem in our society.  Everywhere I look, I find people who suffer from depression, anxiety attacks, schizophrenia, bi-polarism, and obsessive compulsive disorder.  I am constantly amazed at the number of people I meet that engage in self-destructive behaviors:  self-harm, eating disorders, suicide attempts, alcoholism, and drug abuse. I was appalled to discover that 15% of the mentally ill commit suicide. I am certain that mental illness must have been prevalent for a very long time, but like many Americans, I was blind to the immense outbreak of mental illness.  It is obvious that mental illness is one of the greatest health care emergencies. 
     It is the purpose of this world to provide you with information that will bring awareness of mental illness to the foreground. The sheer number of mentally ill wandering the streets, taking space in our jails, and locked away in hospitals insists that we all address this issue. Almost no government moneys is allotted for discovering a cure to mental illness. Research shows that over 5 million Americans over age 17 will experience some form of severe mental disorder during their lifetime. More mentally ill people are hospitalized than all the people suffering from heart disease, cancer, and muscular dystrophy combined.  Outstanding links and resources will be provided, and I will provide updated information whenever available.
Some Great Links that Deal with Mental Illness on the Net:
 Internet Mental Health Site - really good site that not only provides information, but also provides questionnaires to help determine if medical intervention is needed. 

 The Schizophrenia Homepage - an excellent resource for everyone affected by this disease:  the patient, family and friends. 

 The Mental Health Forum - offers Web-based discussion forums for mental health and behavioral healthcare 

  Great links to personal web sites that deal with mental illness:

Denise's Page of Panic - this site shares her struggles with Anxiety.
 Spacen Jason  - his site has lots of good information on anxiety disorders.
 
Other pages in this world of insanity:

 Anxiety Disorders.

Learning to cope - Patients

Learning to cope - Family and Friends

Bipolar Disorder

Depression: Page 1 Page 2

Schizophrenia: Page 1 Page 2

 
Myths about Mental Illness:

If you are aware of any other myths about mental illness please click on the picture, and I will gladly add them to the list!

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