So you see it really makes no sense to discriminate and stigmatize people with brain disorders because they are no different than people with heart disorders. Mental illnesses are brain disorders. Mental illness is a very real medical disorder. It affects millions of people in the United States each year. Yet as common as it is, it is also misunderstood, and many times not recognized.
Mental illness is a biological brain disease which interferes with normal brain chemistry.
Genetic factors may create a predisposition in some people, and life stresses may trigger the onset of symptoms. Brain disorders are very common. In one year 30.7 million Americans are affected. Over 3 million children and adolescents suffer from these illnesses. Mental illness is an equal opportunity disease which strikes families from all walks of life, regardless of age, race, income, religion, or education.