| I am pleased to issue the first-ever
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| | Individuals, Acknowledging Age, Gender,
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| Surgeon General's Report on MentalHealth.
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| | Race and Culture: To be optimally
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| In doing so, I am alerting the American
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| | effective, diagnosis and treatment of
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| people that mental illness is a critical
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| | mental illness must be attentive to these
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| public health problem that must be
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| | factors.
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| addressed immediately. As a society, we
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| | Patients often prefer to be treated by
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| assign a high priority to disease
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| | mental health professionals who are of
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| prevention and health promotion; so, too,
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| | the same racial and ethnic background, a
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| must we ensure that mental health and the
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| | fact that underscores the need to wain
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| prevention of mental disorders share that
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| | more minorities in the mental health
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| priority.
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| | professions. Facilitate Entry into
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| Mental illness is the second leading
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| | Treatment: Access to mental health
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| cause of disability in major market
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| | services can be improved immediately if
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| economies such as the United States, with
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| | we enhance the abilities of primary care
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| mental disorders collectively accounting
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| | providers, public schools, the child
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| for more than 15% of all disabilities.
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| | welfare system and others to help people
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| Mental disorders--depression,
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| | with mental health problems seek
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| schizophrenia, eating disorders,
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| | treatment. In addition, ensuring ready
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| depressive (bipolar) illness, anxiety
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| | access to appropriate services for people
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| disorders, attention deficit
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| | with severe mental disorders promises to
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| hyperactivity disorder and Alzheimer's
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| | significantly reduce the need for
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| disease, to name a few--are as disabling
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| | involuntary care, which is sometimes
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| and serious as cancer and heart disease
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| | required in order to prevent behavior
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| in terms of premature death and lost
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| | that could be harmful to oneself or
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| productivity.
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| | others.o Reduce Financial Barriers to
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| Few Americans are untouched by mental
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| | Treatment: Equality or parity between
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| illness, whether it occurs within one's
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| | mental health coverage and other health
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| family or among neighbors, co-workers or
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| | coverage is an affordable and effective
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| members of the community. In fact, in any
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| | way to decrease the number of ill people
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| one year, one in five
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| | who are not receiving proper treatment.
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| Americans--including children,
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| | The U.S. system is extremely complex; it
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| adolescents, adults and the
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| | is a hybrid system that serves many
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| elderly--experience a mental disorder.
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| | people well, but often seems fragmented
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| Unfortunately, over half of those with
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| | and inaccessible to those with the most
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| severe mental illness do not seek
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| | extensive problems and fewest financial
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| treatment. This is mostly due to some
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| | resources. Critical gaps exist between
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| very real barriers to access, foremost
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| | those who need services and those who
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| among them the stigma that people attach
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| | receive them; only about 40% of those
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| to mental illness and the lack of parity
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| | with severe disorders use any services at
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| between insurance coverage for mental
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| | all.
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| health services and other health care
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| | Although research shows little direct
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| services.
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| | evidence of problems with quality in
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| Over the past 2 5 years, there has been a
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| | mental health service programs, there are
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| scientific revolution in the fields of
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| | signs that programs could be better
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| mental health and mental illness that has
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| | implemented, especially ones that serve
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| helped remove the stigma. The brain has
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| | children and people with serious
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| emerged as the central focus for studies
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| | impairment. While an array of quality
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| of mental health and mental illness, with
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| | monitoring and improvement methods have
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| emphasis on the activities that underlie
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| | been developed, incentives to improve
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| our abilities to feel, learn, remember
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| | conditions lag behind incentives to
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| and, when brain activity goes awry,
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| | reduce costs.
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| experience mental health problems or a
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| | These inequities in insurance coverage
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| mental illness. We now know that not only
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| | for mental and physical health care have
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| do the workings of the brain affect
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| | prompted 27 states to adopt legislation
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| behavior, emotions and memory, but that
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| | requiring parity, and compelled President
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| experience, emotion and behavior also
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| | Clinton to order the Federal Employees
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| affect the workings of the brain.
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| | Health Benefits Program to provide parity
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| As information about the brain
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| | for federal employees by the year 2001.
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| accumulates, the challenge then becomes
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| | Some localized attempts at creating
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| to apply this new knowledge to clinical
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| | parity so far have resulted in better
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| practice.
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| | mental health service access at
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| Today, mental disorders can be correctly
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| | negligible cost increases for managed
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| diagnosed and, for the most part, treated
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| | care organizations.
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| with medications or short-term
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| | Issues relating to mental health and
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| psychotherapy, or with a combination of
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| | mental illness have been overlooked or
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| approaches. The single most explicit
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| | ignored in this country too often and for
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| recommendation I make in my report is to
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| | too long. While we cannot change the
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| seek help if you have a mental health
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| | past, I am convinced that we can shape a
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| problem or think you have symptoms of a
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| | better future.
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| mental disorder. It is my firm conviction
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| | IMAGES FROM WITHIN
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| that mental health is indispensable to
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| | Truth be told, we tend to consider mental
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| personal well-being and balanced living.
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| | illness in the abstract, as the
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| Overall quality of life is tremendously
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| | misfortune of strangers. In these
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| improved when a mental disorder is
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| | compelling portraits, however,
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| diagnosed early and treated
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| | photographer Marc Hauser reveals the
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| appropriately.
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| | individuality and humanity of sufferers
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| My report presents an in-depth look at
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| | of mental illness. They are cat owners
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| mental health services in the U.S. and at
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| | and car lovers, uncles and neighbors.
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| the scientific research that supports
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| | They are all clients of the Lockport
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| treatment interventions for people with
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| | Center for Behavioral Health in Will
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| mental disorders. Summarized briefly
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| | County, Illinois. A complete collection
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| below, it attempts to describe trends in
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| | of their portraits, with text by Alisa
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| the mental health field; explore mental
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| | Hauser, appears in Images From Within:
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| health across the human life span;
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| | Portraits of People Confronting Mental
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| examine the organization and financing of
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| | Illness (High Tide Press, 1999).
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| mental health services; and recommend
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| | GREG GIANNINI
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| courses of action to further improve the
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| | I'd describe myself as a regular person
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| quality and availability of mental health
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| | .... Most of the time I like taking walks
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| services for all Americans. The report's
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| | around my house. Before I was living in a
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| conclusions are based on a review of more
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| | group home out in the country and there
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| than 3,000 research articles and other
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| | weren't that many stores or streets to
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| materials, including first person
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| | walk on. I like walking to 7-Eleven and
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| accounts from people who have experienced
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| | Mr. D's fast food.
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| mental disorders.
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| | ROSE CLARK
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| A Vision for the Future
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| | Sometimes I wake up so sick, but then I
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| I cannot emphasize enough the principal
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| | go to work and feel better. Being with
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| recommendation of my report: Seek help if
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| | animals makes me feel 100% better. Does
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| you think you have a mental health
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| | that sound funny?
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| problem or symptoms of a mental disorder.
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| | I love my boss. He's crazy. When he does
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| But because stigma and substantial gaps
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| | surgery he dances, does the jitterbug.
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| in the accessibility to state-of-the-art
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| | Sometimes I go into surgery with him to
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| mental health services keep many from
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| | make sure all the animals are lying down
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| seeking help, I offer the nation the
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| | straight and not awake. Mostly my
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| following additional recommendations,
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| | responsibilities are taking care of the
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| which are intended to overcome some of
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| | cages and general cleaning.
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| these barriers:o Continue to Build the
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| | I've been with this program for four
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| Science Base: As scientific progress
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| | years. Since then I've gone back to
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| propels us into the next century, there
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| | school and gotten a job. I live in my own
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| should be a special effort to address
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| | apartment, got two cats, and have a
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| pronounced gaps in current knowledge,
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| | checking and savings account.
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| including the urgent need for research
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| | TONY RIVERA
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| relating to mental health promotion and
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| | When I first came to the Pastimes Cafe &
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| illness prevention.o Overcome Stigma: An
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| | Antiques I told them that it reminds me
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| emerging consumer and family movement
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| | of the coffee shops in Baltimore and
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| has, through vigorous advocacy, sought to
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| | Maryland. They laughed and we've been
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| overcome stigma and prevent
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| | friends for two yearn. They know my name
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| discrimination against people with mental
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| | when I walk in. I used to know all their
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| illness. Powerful and pervasive, stigma
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| | names but I only come every few weeks now
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| prevents people from acknowledging their
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| | and I can't remember. They make me feel
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| mental health problems and disclosing
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| | comfortable, like I'm not bothering
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| them to others. To improve access to
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| | anybody.
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| care, stigma must no longer be tolerated.
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| | KATHY MOLYNEAUX
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| Research and more effective treatments
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| | I didn't know I was depressed until after
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| will help move this country toward care
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| | college. I just thought everyone felt the
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| and support of the ill--and away from
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| | same way I did. I had problems sleeping,
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| blame and stigma.o Improve Public
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| | feeling down, overwhelmed, worried and
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| Awareness of Effective Treatments: Mental
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| | not happy. My graduation from DePaul
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| health treatments have improved by leaps
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| | University in 1983 was a good day. After
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| and bounds over the past 25 years, but
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| | college, I worked successfully as a nurse
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| those treatments do no good unless people
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| | for 13 years. I felt like I could relate
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| are aware they exist and seek them out.
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| | to the patients because I had been there
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| There are effective treatments for
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| | myself.
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| virtually every mental disorder. For more
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| | SHERYL CAUDLE
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| information on how to take advantage of
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| | My family at first didn't understand why
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| them, call (877) 9MHEALTH.o Ensure the
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| | I was so depressed. My dad kept asking me
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| Supply of Mental Health Services and
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| | why couldn't I be happy?... I never
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| Providers: Currently, there is a shortage
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| | thought I'd be able to work again because
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| of mental health professionals serving
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| | of my illness. I've had to quit other
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| children and adolescents, elderly people
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| | jobs in the past, but I don't want to
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| with serious mental disorders and those
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| | quit cleaning the Boxy [a local movie
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| who suffer from mental illness-related
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| | theater]; I want to have an apartment
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| substance abuse. There is also a shortage
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| | someday and a job in the community. Both
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| of specialists with expertise in
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| | of these things would be special to me
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| cognitive behavioral therapy and
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| | because it would mean I've come a long
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| interpersonal therapy--two forms of
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| | way.
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| psychotherapy that have proven effective
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| | PATTI REID
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| for many types of mental health
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| | I used to live in a house with my family,
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| problems.o Ensure Delivery of
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| | but I have a rare disorder that makes me
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| State-of-the-Art Treatments: A wide
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| | think about the past. In 1992, I got this
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| variety of effective, community-based
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| | disorder and I couldn't drive my car
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| services--carefully refined through years
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| | anymore. I miss driving the most. My two
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| of research--exist for even the most
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| | big battles are smiling and taking my
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| severe mental illnesses, but they are not
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| | medications. Both of these are very hard.
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| yet widely available in community
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| | Listen to Arthur Buchanan on the Mike
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| settings. We need to ensure that mental
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| | Litman Show! THIS LINK WORKS, LISTEN
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| health services are as universally
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| | TODAY!
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| accessible as other health services in
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| | With Much Love,
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| the continuously changing health care
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| | Arthur Buchanan
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| delivery system. We must speed the
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| | President/CEO
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| transfer of new information from the
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| | Out of Darkness & Into the Light
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| research setting into the service
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| | 43 Oakwood Ave.
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| delivery setting.o Tailor Treatment to
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|
