Speaker combats stigma of mental illness

All societies face double challenges when they battle a disease. On one hand, doctors must defeat the disease itself. And in the case of mental illness, for example, communities must learn to overcome the stigma associated with the disease.

Leading the effort to raise student awareness about mental health issues, the Oak Park High School peer counselors invited Ross Szabo, the director of youth outreach for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign, to discuss teen mental health issues with parents.

While people may be reluctant to discuss mental illness, it's one of the most prevalent diseases in society, experts say. Nearly one out of four people have suffered from some form of diagnosable mental illness, which covers a large spectrum from addiction to depression to schizophrenia.

Recent surveys show that 54 percent of college students said they suffered from some form of depression, while 66 percent said they would not talk about their mental health problems or seek treatment, according to Szabo.

"No one should be ashamed about seeking treatment for a mental disorder," said Szabo. "Our brains are a part of our body and no one should be ashamed of getting help for a part that hurts."

If left untreated, mental illness can have a devastating impact on a young person's life and in some instances may lead to suicide. While females attempt suicide more often, males are more likely to follow through with the act, according to experts.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among high school students and the second leading cause of death among those in college. Within the past three years, three teenage suicides have occured in Oak Park and Agoura.

One of the problems with dealing with depression is that there is no simple way, such as a 12-step program, to heal the disease, said Szabo. He believes that by increasing acceptance of mental illness, more people will be willing to seek help.

Since 1999, Szabo has been touring the country and discussing mental illness with more than 400,000 high school students. He's also combated the stereotypes surrounding mental health in public forums such as Parade magazine, CNN and PBS documentaries.

"I felt a large part of the problem with the way our country dealt with mental health was that no one was making it ok to openly discuss the subject. Instead, people were only worried about developing new treatments," said Szabo.

The vibrant, young man is no stranger to mental illness. During his teen years, Szabo struggled with bipolar disorder. Diagnosed at age 16, the disease caused him to experience manic highs where he felt like he was on top of the world, followed by severe bouts of depression when he often didn't have the will to get out of bed. Szabo attempted to take his life at age 17, but was stopped by his father and checked into a psychiatric ward.

Szabo returned to school, where many of his friends alienated him because of his disorder. After graduating from high school, he attended American University in Washington, D.C. During his freshman year, he found solace in alcohol and would drink until he blacked out.

"I didn't drink to party. I drank to shut my mind down. I drank when I didn't know how to deal with something," said Szabo. "When I talk to kids today about drinking or doing drugs, I don't tell them not to do it. Instead, I tell them to question why they are doing it."

People who suffer from depression often utilize alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism, and, if they start substance abuse early in life, may continue to do so throughout their life.

Szabo suffered a relapse of bipolar disorder while at college and was forced to drop out. He said his life didn't change until he learned to appreciate himself. Szabo went back to college, changed his lifestyle and became involved with a number of groups that publicly discussed mental health issues.

"I started to live a structured life where my days were filled with work," said Szabo. "I woke up every morning at seven and never went to bed later than midnight. I was doing and accomplishing so much that I started to feel a lot better about myself."

Today, Szabo is dedicated to changing the negative ways in which the media presents mental health issues. He said patients would be more likely to seek treatment if they were exposed to more success stories.

Szabo also warned parents that treatment can be a long and arduous journey. Some people are content with receiving a diagnosis only, but finding out what is wrong is just the tip of the iceberg, he said.

Finding the right medication isn't the final solution either. Szabo said successful treatment depends on both medication and therapy.

"Medication will lift a person's mood so that they can work on the disorder, but it won't eliminate it," Szabo said.

Treatment is likely to be compromised if a person who is suffering from the illness continues to drink or use drugs.

"It is incredibly important that the person who is suffering is actively making a choice to try and change," said Szabo. "It is impossible to treat somebody if they are not compliant. In these situations it is usually best to shift the focus on to why they don't want to receive help."

Szabo recommends parents discuss emotions with their children and that they turn confrontation into conversation. Teenagers often don't realize that unpleasant situations can change. If parents are willing to discuss problems and emotionally interact with their children, they will be able to prevent or delay risky behavior.

"It takes a lot of strength to talk about these issues, but it's also important to remember that it's never too late to reach out to a friend or family member that needs help," Szabo said.

For more information about mental illnesses and the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign, visit www.nostigma.org.