Tragedy at Virginia Tech has raised awareness

Gaffney Mayor Henry L. Jolly, center, poses with several mental health professionals Monday at city hall. Each year millions of Americans are diagnosed with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

With the month of May being Mental Health Awareness Month across the United States, thousands of communities are using the 31-day period to make the public aware of these and other mental illnesses.

Gaffney is no different as Mayor Henry Jolly signed a proclamation Monday with representatives from several medical entities present at city hall.

"(Mental health) is something that should be understood by more of us," Jolly said. "It is a sickness similar to cancer, but is not in the public eye half as much. A month being set aside to recognize its importance will go a long way toward the rest of us being further informed."

Mental health is an integral ingredient to one's overall health. The stronger a person is mentally, the more likely they are to be healthier in other regards. Science has established links between mental illness and disorders such as heart disease and obesity.

According to the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign, nearly 58 million adults suffer from some type of diagnosable mental disorder. Of those, only eight million seek treatment.

"People need to care for their mental health whether or not they have a mental illness," Kathryn Browning, chairperson for the Cherokee Mental Health Association said. "Our mental health has to do with how well we cope with the daily challenges life throws at us."

There are 19 area agencies partnering to increase community awareness of mental illnesses and the promotion of good health. A few of them on hand with the Cherokee Mental Health Association at Monday's signing were representatives from Mary Black Memorial Hospital and New Day Clubhouse of Spartanburg, as well as those from the Mental Health Center of Cherokee County as well as the Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center and Upstate Carolina Medical Center.

"Things like this help to get away from the negative perception that such illnesses have in the public arena," said Myra Byars, Mary Black Hospital community education manager of geropsychiatric services. "The goal of the partnership is to positively impact the lives of individuals living with or at risk for mental illnesses."

After the recent tragic events at Virginia Tech, society has chosen to become more cognizant of the dangers that mental illness can have on everyone. Byars believes the incident, although tragic, has created an opportunity to educate people about such ailments.

"The news story has helped gather interest from people about the issue," Byars said. "We are now using this month as a tool to further get the word out."