Overcoming Schizophrenia

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) which will be held October 5-11, 2008 is a time to educate oneself and others about mental illnesses in order to overcome the stigma attached to mental illnesses. Bipolar Disorder Awareness Day and National Depression Screening Day is a part of MIAW. Bipolar Disorder Awareness Day is Thursday, October 9, 2008. Bipolar disorder affects 6 million Americans. National Depression Screening Day takes place Friday, October 10, 2008. Depression affects 19 million Americans or 9.5 percent of the population. To locate a screening site in your neighborhood click on the following website: http://register.mentalhealthscreening.org/Locator1.aspx?MPEID=2 For an online assessment of either bipolar disorder or depression go to: https://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening/select_screening.asp

This week is Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 5-October 11, 2008). In 1990 The United States Congress named the first week of October Mental Illness Awareness Week. National Day of Prayer fo Mental Illness Awareness Recovery and Understanding is Tuesday, October 7, 2008; Bipolar Disorder Awareness Day (BDAD) is held on the Thursday, October 9, 2008; National Depression Screening Day is Friday, October 10, 2008 of Mental Illness Awareness Week. Go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website and contact your local NAMI group to see what activities are taking place this week in your neigborhood at http://www.nami.org/ . "According to the National Institute for Mental Health, today there are approximately thirty-five million persons who suffer the burdens of some form of mental illness. Twelve million are children. Ten million have chronic mental illness" ( http://www.abc-usa.org/resources/resol/mentill.htm ).