5. Mental Illness
Heart disease and stroke, obesity, diabetes and cancer are dangerous threats to Oklahomans’ physical health, but so is mental illness; recognizing the scope and impact of this health issue is vital.
According to the Behavior Health Barometer, published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, nearly 600,000 adults and 200,000 children in Oklahoma live with some sort of mental illness, each year. These staggering numbers are only topped by the percentage of those Oklahomans who go without treatment.
Only a small percentage of people dealing with mental illness seek and receive treatment, says Dr. R. Murali Krishna, psychiatrist and president and chief operating officer of INTEGRIS Mental Health and INTEGRIS James L. Hall Center for Mind, Body and Spirit.
“Oklahoma has a high prevalence of mental illness and low access to treatment,” explains Krishna. “We invest only $53 per capita [on mental health issues] when the national average is over $100. Mental illness is often a silent disease, and most people suffer alone.”
Lack of funding and lack of understanding go hand-in-hand.
“Many people still assume mental illness is an illness of choice and sign of weakness or sin,” says Krishna. “They think they can just shake it off. … Science, however, says it is a disease of the most important organ of the body. We need to combat it like any other disease, and until that happens [the numbers] will continue to get worse. … The brain and the mind are the central core of our health, but we essentially have a headless health care.”
Mental illness affects more than just the mind. The whole body suffers, as well.
“Mental illness is one of the leading causes of disability,” says Krishna. “It lowers productivity and attentiveness, leading to more frequent accidents. Depression lowers immunity and increases heart attack risk 400 percent. Anxiety increases chance of stroke.”
The positive side to this very serious issue is most mental illness is treatable, and very effective treatments are available.
“Most people can be treated, and with proper follow-up, they can become very productive,” says Krishna.
There are ways to combat risk for mental illness, says Krishna. Just as one would care for the rest of his or her body, the mind needs TLC, too.
“The mind has a hardwired healing system, but many don’t know how to activate it,” says Krishna. “Stress plays a big role in our life, and our emotions cause physical changes in our body. … If you find a way to calm your mind through whatever method you choose, you can heal the effects of life and its stresses. The benefits are profound. Your learning, memory and resiliency improve as well as your judgment and impulsive parts of brain.
“Mental illness is a brain disorder, and we need the core of society to accept that,” he adds.
