| A growing recognition of the fact that | | | | Clinical anxiety and clinical depression are |
| "mental health is fundamental to a person's | | | | real, treatable conditions that interfere |
| overall health, indispensable to personal | | | | with a person's overall well-being and |
| well-being and instrumental to leading a | | | | ability to do many of the things that they |
| balanced and productive life" likely | | | | would otherwise enjoy. A suffer of clinical |
| contributes to the fact that about 15% of our | | | | depression can no more "snap out of it," than |
| country's population now use some form of | | | | a person suffering from a seizure has the |
| mental health services in any given year. | | | | will-power to stop taking a seizure. |
| Nonetheless, despite effective treatments, | | | | |
| according to Dr. Satcher's 1999 Surgeon | | | | Mental illnesses range from clinical anxiety |
| General's Mental Health report, "Nearly half | | | | and depression to Alzheimer's disease and |
| of all Americans who have a severe mental | | | | schizophrenia. Anxiety disorders, the most |
| illness fail to seek treatment". The fact | | | | common form of mental illness, affect more |
| that nearly one in five Americans are | | | | than 10% of Americans yearly. Almost 25% of |
| affected by a mental disorder, reinforces the | | | | Americans will suffer an anxiety disorder at |
| understanding that "few Americans are | | | | some point in their lives. Every May, |
| untouched by mental illness", whether | | | | thousands of sites throughout the country |
| directly or indirectly. | | | | offer free, local anxiety screenings, as part |
| | | | of National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day. |