10/10 is World Mental Health Day. Did you know?
- The World Health Organization reports nearly 1 billion people live with a mental health disorder?
- In countries with low income and poverty, more than 75% of people with mental illnesses will not receive treatment
- World Mental Health Day can be a life-saving and life-changing opportunity to highlight the lack of mental health support around the world
Mental Health Statistics (per Psychology Today 10/4/21)
- The World Health Organization reports that nearly 1 billion people live with a mental disorder
- Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide
- Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent type of childhood mental illness
- In countries with low income and poverty, more than 75% of people with mental illnesses will not receive treatment
- In countries where higher income and healthcare poilicies exist, only 10% of children and adults reach out for mental health care. Stigma, cost and lack of available specialists are listed as obstacles
- 3 million people die from substance abuse each year
- Every 40 seconds, a person dies by suicide
- Half of all mental disorders begin by age 14 and three-quarters of all mental disorders by age 24
Five Ways to Embrace World Mental Health Day (per Psychology Today 10/4/21)
The World Health Organization reports that only about 2% of a country’s budget goes to mental health funding. This is why World Mental Health Day can be a life-saving and life-changing opportunity to highlight the lack of mental health support around the world. Consider the following to get the message out that mental health care is a necessary part of life to all of us.
- Reach out to a loved one. Check in with a friend or family member who lives with a mental illness. Talking, touching base, emailing, texting or calling to just shooting the breeze can be so supportive and helpful
- Get social. Share World Mental Health Day on your social media. Link a post, hashtag #WMDH21, share a story or follow a mental health organization
- Educate yourself. Spend the day reading an article about mental illness. Read a post from a mental illness advocate. Watch an award-winning movie about a mental illness with others and talk about your experiences with it
- Participate. Take part in a local or online mental health event. Consider donating to a mental health charity or volunteering at a local community resource center
- Take your own mental health day. Make self-care a priority and take a mental health day, yourself, from work or school. Or give yourself the day off from chores or other home pressures
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
If you’re not familiar with NAMI, they are the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. They have resources across the US. For additional information near you, here is the link to their homepage: https://www.nami.org/Home
According to NAMI, 20.6% (1 in 5) of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2019. Here is a link to the most current statistics: https://nami.org/mhstats
With this in mind, let’s think about estate planning and how best to prepare for two important areas in life.
- Decision Making: conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, anxiety, or another mental illness, it may be difficult making decisions. Dealing with a mental health condition can be all-encompassing.
- Managing Money: when someone is receiving Social Security Disability payments or other government assistance because of their mental illness, it is important to discuss this with an estate planning attorney who’ve had experience helping families navigate how best to protect the loved one and the assistance they receive to ensure benefits can be maintained.
Mental illness is common and treatable, and the fact that the stigma around it has lessened is a positive thing for those dealing with their mental health – and their loved ones. It makes it easier to bring issues like these estate planning concerns out into the open.
Moving Forward From Where You Are
This quote is my humble reminder how important it is to engage and keep moving in life, no matter where I am. “Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance, you must keep moving.” Albert Einstein
Pay attention to your mental and emotional health. It’s been a long 2020-2021. Feeling “normal” hasn’t been normal. Taking care of ourselves includes planning for the uncertainty of what lies ahead.
The road may have curves and dips along the way. Sorting out what matters begins with one small step to build your confidence and momentum. Wherever you are, begin. Let me know how I may help you move forward. Check out my website to learn about me and what I do: https://thelivingplanner.com Have questions, email me: Lynn@thelivingplanner.com
Keep well –Lynn
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