What little most of us know about mental illness, we probably picked up from watching TV or from the movies. Unfortunately, these impressions are usually pretty ridiculous - the mentally ill are portrayed as dangerous killers or laughable buffoons. Let's face it, few people bone up on the subject until it intrudes into our lives; but intrude it does. Everyone knows someone with a brain disorder. The quiet coworker, the eccentric aunt, the lifelong friend who has suddenly changed in some subtle way - mental illness is a fact of modern life that is kept in the attic away from public discussion. This needs to change.But where do you start to look for real information? Trust me that a Google search on "mental health" is going to leave anyone pretty overwhelmed. Bipolar? Depression? Anxiety? We who live with brain disorder know that a diagnosis is not usually a simple thing. You may know that something is wrong, but what specifically? Look at NIMH? or NAMI? Heavens, there are a lot of initials and most of it looks pretty technical and confusing and you have to know what you're looking for.
Here is a site for that first search. Refreshingly simple and in human language, not medical-ise, it's aimed at folks 18-25 (most common age of onset) and includes a state by state search engine for mental health services, an overview of common disorders and real life testimonials of people living with these problems. "What a difference a friend makes?" You bet. Check it out...
