Why is behavioral healthcare treated so much differently than physical healthcare? Is it stigma? Is it lack of knowledge? Yet 1 in every 4 Ohioans has a diagnosable mental illness and 1 out of 10 have a substance abuse problem or addiction. These are your family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and classmates.
It is time to speak out on behalf of ourselves and those we love. Mental illness and addiction are diseases of the brain that not only impact the health of an individual but also the health of our families and our communities. That is the reason why the Ohio Association of Behavioral Health Authorities launched the education and advocacy campaign: OF-1-MIND.
Think of this, recovery rates for major mental disorders are far greater than for other physical illnesses like heart disease. For every dollar spent on treatment, there is an economic return of at least $7 when taking into account productivity at work and school, reduction in crime, child abuse, and homelessness. And most importantly, recovering people work.
Please log onto http://www.of-1-mind.org/ to get involved in this vital campaign.
Now more than ever you owe it to yourself, your family, and your community to make a difference and to let your voice be heard. Maybe one day we can accomplish the vision of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health; that is, ". . .a future when mental illnesses can be prevented or cured, a future when mental illnesses are detected early, and a future when everyone with a mental illness at any stage of life has access to effective treatment and supports. . ."
Mike Schoenhofer
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