Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Test your knowledge about mental illness

A great resource from NAMI Queens/Nassau is available to teach others about the stigma surrounding mental illness. I'll be sharing their curriculum "Breaking the Silence - Teaching the Next Generation About Mental Illness" at the Eldorado Middle School for their Eagle Pride Day on Thursday, April 26, 2012. The curriculum is so impressive that I thought  their 10 question quiz regarding general knowledge about mental illness was worth sharing to my blog readers. Use it for yourself or use it with your children so that we can share correct information about mental health diagnosis and treatment.

True or False?

1. Serious mental illness can happen to any family.

2. The suicide rate for people who suffer from mental illness is 10 percent.

3. Psychopath and psychotic mean the same thing.

4. The great majority of people with mental illness are not violent.

5. Abuse of drugs and alcohol may be a way people with mental illness medicate themselves to relieve  their symptoms.

6. Mental illness and mental retardation are the same thing.

7. People with mental illness can really pull themselves together and be normal if they try hard enough.

8. Mental illness strikes one in five people at some point in their lives.

9. Mental illness is a physical illness affecting the brain.

10.  All people with mental illness live in their own world and are out of contact with reality all of the time.

So, how did you do?
Answers: 1T 2T 3F 4T 5T 6F 7F 8T 9T 10F

Social change about mental health views take investment by everyone. How can you and your family commit to helping change how the world sees diagnosis and treatment?