Videos Counter Fear of Young Adults with Mental Illness

OCONOMOWOC, Wis., Aug. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Rogers InHealth, a key corporation of Rogers Behavioral Health System, uses video accounts that demonstrate the hopeful outcomes when people access needed resources for mental health recovery – with informed family and community-based support and professional treatment playing a primary role. Through online videos, Rogers InHealth highlights stories of those living with mental illness and the keys they've found for recovery.

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"The internet and media are filled with stories about the devastating impact of untreated and mistreated mental health," Director Sue McKenzie, M.A., said. "We tend to hear about the minority with chronic or severe disorders that result in crime or suicide, but there are many more stories of people with severe mental illness who live fulfilling, productive lives. Although mental illness is far more common than many realize, it's important that people recognize that recovery is definitely possible when there is access to effective resources… and the earlier, the better."

The High Cost of Untreated Mental Illness
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), mental disorders are medical conditions that can disrupt a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and/or daily functions: "Without treatment, the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society are staggering: unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and wasted lives," with the cost of untreated mental illness at more than $100 billion each year! Consider, too, that the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) indicates 1 in 4 adults have a diagnosable mental disorder each year, with nearly half experiencing onset by the age of 14.

Co-director Suzette Urbashich, M.S., addressed these statistics. "There's a need for early intervention with effective treatment, yet more than half of all affected don't have access to proper care. Plus, studies indicate that it takes most people at least eight years before they ever begin to seek help. That's too long, especially when satisfying lives are possible with access to the right resources. The stories on the Rogers InHealth website not only offer insights to recovery but also impact stigma reduction, which plays a key role in the policies and personal beliefs that can be a barrier to people accessing recovery resources earlier."

Four Young Adults Share Their Stories of Finding Recovery
"Mike, Grenesha, Tara and Brittany are adults in their 20s who defy the false beliefs that mental illness will keep people from living satisfying and productive lives," McKenzie said. "Their video stories offer insight on ways to live in recovery with these conditions. For many, recovery combines effective therapies, activities to discover one's competence such as art, writing, yoga, work, etc., medications, family and/or community-based support, as well as being a contributing member of a community where they are accepted and respected."

The four share real stories of the pain and struggle that led to a path of recovery. Mike shares how his developing schizoaffective disorder was initially masked by alcohol and marijuana use… through NAMI education, family and support groups, as well as effective medical treatment, Mike is now able to live in recovery; Grenesha talks about depression and schizoaffective disorder and the realization that she needed long-term treatment and support; Tara shares the debilitating impact of anxiety and how she finally found recovery through effective DBT and art therapy; and Brittany shares her life in recovery with an eating disorder.

"We appreciate their courage – sharing their stories and seeking recovery," McKenzie continued. "Rogers InHealth shares a variety of videos on different disorders to help demonstrate that when the resources are available, recovery is not only possible, but the norm. The accounts also offer opportunities to share stories with family, friends and professionals who might carry the stigma that blocks another from the path to recovery." For more stories and resources, check the video library on RogersInHealth.org.

A key corporation of Rogers Behavioral Health System, Rogers InHealth creates and distributes video stories of recovery to increase understanding, hope and supportive action by people with mental illness and addiction, their friends and family, professionals and the general public. Through key initiatives to promote effective stigma reduction practices, Rogers InHealth provides collaborative leadership in the quest to eliminate the stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination that make up the stigma of mental health. For more information, check www.rogersinhealth.org.

SOURCE Rogers InHealth