Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are brain disorders that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.
Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion, or income.
Five million people in this country alone suffer from a serious chronic brain disorder. These illnesses greatly affect family members and society in general. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing. Most importantly, these brain disorders are treatable. As a diabetic takes insulin, most people with serious mental illness need medication to help control symptoms.