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Overcoming The Mental Illness Stigma: 5 Ways You Can Help

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Overcoming The Mental Illness Stigma 5 Ways You Can Help One in five Americans, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), experiences a mental illness in their lifetime and one in twenty-five experiences a a serious mental illness that interferes with or limits one or more life functions. Despite these numbers, according to www.mentalhealth.gov, only 44% of adults with a diagnosable mental illness and less than 20% of children and adolescents receive treatment. While there are many reasons for this gap in care, one of the most commonly reported reasons for not receiving treatment is the stigma.  What Is Mental Illness Stigma? Mental illness stigma occurs when someone views a person in a negative way because they have a mental health disorder. It is a mark of disgrace that differentiates one from others, a negative belief system and negative behaviors that creates a prejudice which leads to damaging actions and discrimination. Stigma has been described as a