Mental Health Awareness Week is now underway

Dear Annie: Sunday, Oct. 4, marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week. As someone who has been impacted by a mental illness, I wanted to share the following warning signs of mental illness, courtesy of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

•Excessive worrying or fear.

• Feeling excessively sad or low.

• Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning.

• Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria.

•Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger.

•Avoiding friends and social activities.

• Difficulties understanding or relating to other people.

•Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy.

•Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite.

• Changes in sex drive.

• Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist in objective reality).

•Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs.

• Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”).

• Thinking about suicide.

•Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress.

People can find local resources by calling 1-800-950NAMI (6264) or emailing info@nami.org. Depression impacts me year-round, and I hope that weeks like this can help raise awareness and counter stigma.

— Glad to Be Here Dear GTBH: I appreciate your letter. One in 5 Americans experience a mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. And that rate is increasing during the pandemic. In May, the Census Bureau found that a third of Americans showed signs of clinical depression and/or anxiety. These illnesses are more common right now; they’re no less serious. If you have any of these symptoms or are feeling deeply lonely, then call the NAMI hotline mentioned above to be connected with resources. And if you have an urgent need for help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or call 911.