Mental health is known as the psychological well being and satisfactory adjustment to society and to the ordinary demands of life. Mental health is linked to disorders that are generally characterized by dysregulation (impairment of a physiological regulatory mechanism) of mood, thought, and/or behavior (CDC Mental Illness). When people hear that a person has a mental illness they tend to treat them as if they have a disease. People with mental illnesses are treated like outcast of society. This stigma, whish is defined as a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person; needs to be addressed in the American society. If people are afraid to speak out about the possibility of having mental illnesses than they will never be treated for them. Mental illnesses can lead tragedies like suicides or homicides, which could have been prevented with the right treatments and medications.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health back in 2012 there was an estimated 43.7 million adults with a mental illness the equivalent of 18.6 percent United States adults. In the same year there were an estimated 9.6 million adults with a serious mental illness the equivalent to 4.1 percent of United States adults (National Institute of Mental Health). This is a large percent of American citizens with a mental illness. Imagine how many citizens there is that we do not know about because they do not have the resources for help or they are embarrassed to speak out about how they feel. Something has to change in America so that people suffering from mental illnesses can be heard and not fear judgment from others.
In America the word mental illness usually causes people to think of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. These are not the only mental disorders just the ones that are most associated with mental illness. Depressions, anxiety, and