To be mentally ill means something you can't control interferes with your coping skills and, in the worst of cases, wipes them out almost entirely. Just as the mentally healthy experience feelings that fit the definitions of mental illness, such as depression, anxiety and hysteria, the mentally ill are not always at the extreme of the continuum. Yet there's a misconception that there is some line crossed from which you can never return, which increases stigma and the reluctance of people to seek help. Not seeking treatment can affect our physical health. As the surgeon general's report noted, an older person suffering from bereavement can, without treatment, die from suicide or a heart attack.
Depression caused by grief can increase the odds of getting cancer and other diseases.
Also, the unwillingness to recognize the continuum of mental health and its relationship to physical health affects access to care for the mentally ill. Our insurance systems deny adequate coverage to treat a mental condition that can put a woman at risk of a heart attack. Yet we would rush her to the hospital and use any means possible to save her from dying of a heart attack. The costs are enormous, both emotionally and financially. And, of course, there are the social injustices.