- According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), 26.2 percent of Americans aged 18 and older are suffering from one or
more mental illnesses at any given time—that translates to over 57 million people. Statistically speaking, that means everyone in America has at least one
mentally ill person in their extended family.
- There is a link between untreated mental illness and violence, as evidenced by multiple recent mass shootings, assaults on elected officials, and crime statistics that indicate the U.S. prison system has become the default housing provider for the mentally ill.
- Mental illness is rarely discussed as a family-based issue, despite the fact that genetics play a strong role in five major mental illness diagnoses, according to NIMH.
- Treatment for common psychiatric diagnoses like borderline personality disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder are often ineffective and/or expensive, and not covered at parity with other illnesses.
- Many prescription psychoactive drugs are overprescribed and can have harmful side effects, including addiction.
- While there are an abundance of personal memoirs about mental illness and addiction, as well as memoirs by celebrities that detail the family effects of mental illness, there is currently no book that not only blends the two, but also tells the story from a common-man, middle-class point of view. What’s missing in the marketplace is an authentic voice on family mental illness that the vast majority of readers can personally relate to. Ms. Berry delivers on that voice.