In a perfect world, we would all make every day a wellness day, but we get busy and distracted and self-care takes a back seat. We grab what is convenient, we hit the drive-thru on the way home because we didn’t have time to plan anything for dinner.

Mental health has become a hot topic in recent years, as suicide has become the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. for all ages.

A 2015 study by the National Institute for Mental Health found that nearly one in five American adults suffer from some type of mental illness in any given year, and 21.4% of adolescents will experience mental illness in their lifetime.

Talking about mental health is more important than ever because 80%-90% of people that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully using therapy and/or medication.

Mental Health Awareness month is in May. This awareness time is designated to help shed light on not just the prevalence of mental illness, but the symptoms associated with mental illness. Education and treatment is key, but people must understand the symptoms so they will recognize when it’s time to seek treatment.

So, let’s break it down. What exactly is mental illness? According to the Mayo Clinic, Mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions—disorders that affect your mood, thinking, and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.”

Almost everyone experiences a mental health concern from time-to-time, but mental illness occurs when that concern becomes ongoing and the symptoms cause frequent stress that begin to affect your ability to function in your everyday life.

The seven major mental health disorders include:

Every year, the month of May is set aside as National Nurses Month. With National Nurses Day being May 6th, this kicks off National Nurses Week. Additionally, all of our dedicated nurses are celebrated around the globe on May 12th (Florence Nightingale’s birthday) with International Nurses Day.

Nurses make up the highest percentage of healthcare workers and there’s a good reason for that—they care! When we hear the words health care, nurses should come to mind as those who provide that one-on-one personal care and concern when we are in need.