The resources listed below may provide some information about the more common mental disorders and can help you determine if someone you know may be suffering from mental illness and is in need of help.

Mental illness can strike anyone. It knows no age limits, economic status, race, creed or color. During the course of a year, more than 48 million Americans are affected by one or more mental disorders. Medical science has made incredible progress over the last century in understanding, curing and eliminating the causes of many diseases including mental illnesses. However, while doctors continue to solve some of the mysteries of the brain, many of its functions remain a puzzle. Even at the leading research centers, no one fully understands how the brain works or why it malfunctions. However, researchers have determined that many mental illnesses are probably the result of chemical imbalances in the brain. These imbalances may be inherited or may develop because of excessive stress or substance abuse.

Most people experience feelings of anxiety before an important event such as a big exam, business presentation or first date. Anxiety disorders, however, are illnesses that cause people to feel frightened, distressed and uneasy for no apparent reason. Left untreated, these disorders can dramatically reduce productivity and significantly diminish an individual’s quality of life.

For more information:

Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation
Phone: 203-315-2190

Anxiety Disorders Association of America
Phone: 240-485-1001

Freedom From Fear
Phone: 718-351-1717 or 888-442-2022

American Psychiatric Association
Phone: 888-357-7924

American Psychological Association
Phone: 800-964-2000

People with eating disorders experience serious disturbances in their eating patterns, such as a severe and unhealthy reduction in their food intake or overeating, as well as extreme concern about body shape or weight. Eating disorders usually develop during adolescence or early adulthood. Eating disorders are not due to weak willpower or bad behavior, they are real, treatable illnesses. The two primary types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

It is easy for parents to identify their child’s physical needs: lots of good food, warm clothes when it’s cold, bedtime at a reasonable hour. However, a child’s mental and emotional needs may not be as obvious. Good mental health allows your youngster to think clearly, to develop socially and to learn new skills. Additionally, suitable playmates, encouraging words from adults and guidelines for behavior are all important for helping your child develop self-confidence, high self-esteem and a healthy emotional outlook on life.

For more information:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Phone: 703-684-7710

Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
Phone: 240-403-1901

Family Support America
Phone: 312-338-0900

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
Phone: 800-695-0285

National Association of School Psychologists
Phone: 301-657-0270

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mental illness involving episodes of serious mania and depression. The person’s mood swings from excessively “high” and irritable to sad and hopeless and then back again, with periods of the person’s normal mood in between. At least 2 million Americans suffer from bipolar disorder.

For More Information:

National Mental Health Association
Phone: 703-684-7722

Mental Health Resource Center
Phone: 800-969-NMHA

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Phone: 800-826-3632

National Institute of Mental Health
Phone: 301-443-4513

National Foundation for Depressive Illness
Phone: 800-239-1265

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in older people. Dementia is a medical condition that disrupts the way the brain works. Alzheimer’s affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. Although the risk of getting the disease increases with age, it is not a normal part of aging. At present the cause of the disease is unknown, and there is no cure.

For More Information:

Alzheimer’s Association
Phone: 800-272-3900

Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center
Phone: 800-438-4380

Alcohol and other drug abuse and addiction constitute major health and safety concerns in the United States, with costs running into the billions of dollars annually for health care, related injuries and loss of life, property destruction, loss of productivity and more. Treatment is proven to be effective, but very few who need it have access to and receive care. Private and public funding for treatment remains meager. Families are devastated, and children are at increased risk for their own addiction and mental health problems.

A suicide attempt is a clear indication that something is gravely wrong in a person’s life. No matter the race or age of the person or how rich or poor they are, it is true that most people who commit suicide have a mental or emotional disorder. The most common underlying disorder is depression, 30 percent to 70 percent of suicide victims suffer from major depression or bipolar disorder.

For More Information:

Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Phone: 800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)

www.hopeline.com
This will connect you with a crisis center in your area.

American Association of Suicidology
Phone: 202-237-2280

Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network
Phone: 888-649-1366

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance), a public-private partnership, has partnered with The Brook Hospitals, to strengthen the country’s clinical capacity to provide innovative suicide prevention and care. The partnership significantly advances one of the central priorities of the Action Alliance—to transform health systems and reduce suicides—and marks The Brook Hospitals’ commitment to be at the leading edge of the transformation.

We cannot offer diagnosis, counseling or recommendations online, but an Assessment and Referral specialist is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 502-426-6380. If you are currently experiencing an emergency, please dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.