Those cases lend a bad name to the masses of mentally ill who are not dangerous to others but rather, simply trying to live functional lives. The link between being dangerous and being mentally ill is so ingrained that people hesitate to seek treatment for their problem, for fear of disclosing it to family and friends. It's unfortunate, because they're such a small number. There's a huge amount of us out there who are just pussycats. All we want to do is be a part of society, have a friend, have a lover, be regular people.
Mental illness affects one of four families in America.
Imbalance of serotonin has been linked to problems including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. Norepinephrine imbalances have also been linked to depression. At excessive levels, dopamine can trigger psychosis. A greater variety of prescription drugs is available to treat all of these chemical imbalances effectively, with fewer side effects than ever before. A patient being treated for depression 30 years ago would have been more likely to face severe side effects.