Mental health disorders strike millions of Americans - regardless of race, color, gender, age, and socioeconomic status - each year. Some disorders are mild, while others are more disabling and require intensive management and care. Consider these statistics from the National Mental Health Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health:

• Mental health disorders account for four of the top ten causes of disability in established market economies, such as the US, worldwide, and include: major depression (also called clinical depression), manic depression (also called bipolar disorder), schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• More than 19 million American adults, ages 18 and over, will suffer from a depressive illness (major depression, bipolar disorder, or dysthymia) each year. Many of them will be unnecessarily incapacitated for weeks or months because their illness is left untreated.

It is vital that Americans know that help is available. As many as eight in ten people suffering from mental disorders can effectively return to normal, productive lives if they receive appropriate treatment - treatment which is readily available.