For 70 years, the United States has recognized May as Mental Health Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in five Americans will experience mental illness in a given year, and one in 25 Americans lives with a serious mental illness. The costs can be staggering: the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) says that serious mental illness costs the United States approximately $190 billion each year in lost earnings.

While the dollar cost is high for our community, the personal cost is even higher. Here in Cobb County, between 2011-2015, suicide was the third leading cause of premature death. The number one leading cause of premature death during the same time period was accidental poisoning and exposure to noxious substances, including accidental overdoses of legal and illegal drugs.

MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH MONTH 2While the dollar cost is high for our community, the personal cost is even higher. Here in Cobb County, between 2011-2015, suicide was the third leading cause of premature death. The number one leading cause of premature death during the same time period was accidental poisoning and exposure to noxious substances, including accidental overdoses of legal and illegal drugs.

The barriers to receiving help may seem difficult to overcome. The perception of the stigma of mental health challenges often prevents people from seeking therapy. Equally important is that, according to Mental Health America, more than 5.3 million adults with mental illness remain uninsured—creating a false sense that help is not available.

Agencies like the Cobb County Community Services Board were set up to assist those who have behavioral health challenges and who are without insurance or who cannot afford to pay the co-payment of their insurance plan. We offer a myriad of services at our Outpatient Center located at 1650 County Services Road in Marietta: open from 7am-3pm for walk-ins. For referral to services, call our Access Center at 770-442-0202. Those in crisis can contact or visit our Behavioral Health Crisis Center at 1758 County Services Parkway in Marietta—open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The phone number is 404-794-4857. Both locations can be reached by CobbLinc—bus route 15.

There is no single cause for mental illness, but with counseling and treatment, recovery from behavioral health challenges is possible. Recognizing Mental Health and offering solutions is a first step in a path forward.

This article was written by Foster Norman, CEO of Cobb County Community Services Board, and originally appeared in our May issue of EAST COBBER, on page 51. Click here to view the digital edition.