Summary: The Struggle With Mental Illnesses

Many people struggle with mental illnesses. According to the Mental Health of America “ 1 in 5 Adults have a mental health condition. That’s over 40 million Americans… 76% of youth are left with no or insufficient treatment… [while] 56% of American adults with a mental illness do not receive treatment”(Mental Health America, 2017). The statistics show that many people struggling with mental illnesses every day in the U.S. yet the overwhelming majority of them do not receive treatment. It is not an uncommon thing to know someone who struggles with a mental illness. However, the stigma surrounding mental health results in people being ashamed to seek treatment. This leads to the potential isolated person who becomes more violent as they lash …show more content…
7). If it is so well known that mass shooters struggle with mental health issues, then why is it that many people are ignored when they show the early warning signs? It is most likely the fact that mental health is a touchy subject that not many people want to get involved with. Many would rather ignore it and worry about themselves, which as far as they are aware means that it is not happening. A majority of people are aware of mental health issues, but not how to deal with them, or how to express it which leads them to feel anxious when discussing the subject. Subgroups of people with severe or untreated mental illness might be at an increased risk for violence. Most recent mass shooters led solitary lives, scattered with psychological symptoms, and despair, all common themes between people with mental illness (Metzl & MacLeish, 2015). According to an FBI unit leader, the “quieter, less outwardly threatening subjects can prove the most dangerous… there are individuals who prompt a sense of anxiety or fear” (Follman, 2015, p.