Genetic testing offers new hope. Children, who are often not identified as suffering from mental illness until extreme behavior surfaces, could get help before the disease progresses. Where centers like Didi Hirsch do not exist, cost and insurance provisions may inhibit diagnosis and treatment. The person suffering from depression may attempt to shrug it off. They may not be familiar with the symptoms.
Families can also be in the dark, or in denial.
Dear Abby's Jeanne Phillips has some simple but effective suggestions for dealing with these scenarios. For coworkers or family members who may initially resist this strategy, Phillips emphasizes telling the person not to be afraid, and sharing your concern about them. This disease needs every bit of understanding, compassion, and research it can get. Phillips recognizes that because of the stigma attached to mental illness, coworkers may not always embrace this suggestion. It is essential that people with mental illness be seen as human beings who are much more than the illnesses with which they struggle.