Throughout human history, people with mental illness have received a different forms of care than patients with medical conditions. After all, injuries and physical diseases have visible symptoms, while symptoms associated with mental illness are typically behavioral. For millennia, those with mental illness were perceived by society as suffering from some sort of crisis of the soul. They were stricken with madness by the gods or possessed by a demon. The treatment for such supernatural conditions was to persuade the entity to leave the body. For instance, archaeologists have uncovered five-thousand-year-old bodies with holes bored into their skulls to allow invading spirits the ability to leave. Over centuries, various societies struggled
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Legislation passed during the 1960s brought patients into community-based treatment programs. In 1979, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) was founded. NAMI became one of America 's leading advocates for research and public awareness of mental-health issues. In 1990, in honor of NAMI 's advocacy, Congress officially named the first week of October "Mental Illness Awareness Week." NAMI and other organizations have continued to call attention to the plight of the homeless and incarcerated, many of whom suffer from a variety of diagnosable and treatable illnesses. Awareness of mental illness is growing. Millions of Americans receive health-care coverage for mental health and substance-abuse treatment. NAMI is not alone in the effort to spread the word about mental illness, there are more than fifteen thousand Internal Revenue Service registered nonprofit organizations committed to mental-health issues. There is also increased integration between mental health and other forms of medicine. Such integration leads to more effective research and treatment protocols. In many ways, the growth in awareness about mental illness and treatment options is positive, shinning a light on the importance of connecting those with mental illness with counseling and medical assistance. At the same time, this trend is also underscoring. There remains a social stigma attached to mental illness, one that contributes to high suicide rates and refusal to seek treatment. The treatments are sometimes inconsistent, especially when dealing with complex issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality
Legislation passed during the 1960s brought patients into community-based treatment programs. In 1979, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) was founded. NAMI became one of America 's leading advocates for research and public awareness of mental-health issues. In 1990, in honor of NAMI 's advocacy, Congress officially named the first week of October "Mental Illness Awareness Week." NAMI and other organizations have continued to call attention to the plight of the homeless and incarcerated, many of whom suffer from a variety of diagnosable and treatable illnesses. Awareness of mental illness is growing. Millions of Americans receive health-care coverage for mental health and substance-abuse treatment. NAMI is not alone in the effort to spread the word about mental illness, there are more than fifteen thousand Internal Revenue Service registered nonprofit organizations committed to mental-health issues. There is also increased integration between mental health and other forms of medicine. Such integration leads to more effective research and treatment protocols. In many ways, the growth in awareness about mental illness and treatment options is positive, shinning a light on the importance of connecting those with mental illness with counseling and medical assistance. At the same time, this trend is also underscoring. There remains a social stigma attached to mental illness, one that contributes to high suicide rates and refusal to seek treatment. The treatments are sometimes inconsistent, especially when dealing with complex issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality