In September of 2015, Governor Malloy cut $1.5 million from mental health resources budget. In November of 2013, Austin Deeds, the 24 year old son of Virginia state Senator R. Creigh Deeds stabbed his father multiple times in the head and chest while the Senator was feeding some of his animals in the barn next to their home. Only after the Senator told his son during the attack, "I love you so much," did Austin stop his attack, and then turned and walked away. Seconds later Austin shot himself to death.  Here are four facts about mental illness taken from the MentalHealth.gov website. 1....One in five American adults experienced a mental health issue, 2....One in ten young people experienced a bout of major depression, 3....One in 25 Americans lived with a serious mental illness like schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder or major depression, 4....Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the country. Did I mention that our Governor cut $1.5 million from the mental health resources budget? An individual with a mental illness has a brain that is wired differently than a "normal" person's brain.

An Exhibit from an Exhibition titled, "Brains" in London of 2012
An Exhibit from an Exhibition titled, "Brains" in London of 2012
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Mindy and I have a loved one with 'Borderline Personality Disorder.' Individuals with BPD exhibit at least five of these nine symptoms.........*Fear of abandonment, *Unstable relationships, *Struggles with a sense of self, *Impulsive or self damaging behavior like drug abuse or binge eating, *Suicidal behavior or self injury, *Varied or random mood swings, *Constant feelings of worthlessness or sadness, *Problems with anger, and *Stress related paranoia.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness(NAMI), "The lack of timely treatment has led neuropsychiatric disorders to become the leading cause of disability in the world, more than heart disease, cancer, or injuries." Like it or not, mental illness is never going away and needs to be dealt with. Thank you Governor Malloy for the help.

Listen to Ethan Carey on the Ethan & Lou Show weekdays from 5:30-10AM on 95.1 FM. You can listen online at i95rock.com/listen-live/ or by downloading the radioPup app for your mobile device.

 

 

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