*Schizophrenia Awareness Week*

As many of you already are aware, I am a passionate advocate for raising awareness about mental illness. I have been a nurse for over 30 years and now work in Adolescent Psychiatric care at a local hospital. The entire month of May is mental illness month and the week of May 21 through 27th is Schizophrenia Awareness week. I am passionate about all forms of mental illness and feel that is grossly ignored by our current government, both state and federal. I wish there was something I alone could do to change this situation. This week, I will focus on schizophrenia because it is one of the most misunderstood of mental illnesses.

For some people, the mere mention of the word, schizophrenia, makes people step back, like from a hot flame, they want to turn their heads or avert their eyes. We are, as a country, still in the dark ages with regards to public awareness of mental illness. Schizophrenia Awareness week hopefully will help raise public consciousness about this particular mental disorder and eliminate stigma regarding it and related disorders. Many afflicted with schizophrenia and related mental illnesses, including bi-polar disorders (which my late daughter, Leslie suffered from), major depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, remain confined by societal misperceive, fear and ignorance.
Schizophrenia, like many serious mental illnesses, is a bio-chemical and physical abnormality in the brain, currently affecting more than 2.5 million Americans, or 1 percent of the world's population. Schizophrenia is not multiple or split personalities, does not mean that a person is necessarily violent, nor is it caused by poor parenting. Referring to those who suffer from mental illness, or anyone for that matter as crazy, nuts, looney, is cruel and inhumane. These labels stigmatize patients and their families who suffer from this illness. I think for one to understand what schizophrenia truly is, watch the film "A Beautiful Mind" for a very accurate portrayal. When I watched that movie, I was amazed to see on film what the schizophrenic patient lives with daily.
We care for people with physical ailments because the symptoms are something that we can 'see' and therefore, it is acceptable. Mental illness cannot be 'seen' , but that doesn't make it any less important. We need to be as compassionate and caring with mental illness as we are with physical illness.
Please help me in raising awareness of those afflicted with mental illness during the month of May, mental health awareness month. Please visit www.NSFoundation.org or www.nami.org for more information on the definitions of mental illness and the treatments available today. This is so important.