Invisible illness by Spencer

Invisible illness by Spencer - February 2020 Scholarship Essay

In the short time that I have been alive, I’ve seen people that I hold close struggle to overcome major, unfortunate obstacles that come with life. Things like cancer and poverty. Although these are both terrible burdens, there’s another that eats away at a person’s character, and almost nothing is done about it.
Mental illness is rampant in America. It may be mild, with little to no effect on everyday functions. Or, it may cause severe impairment. In any case, an estimated 46.6 million adults in the U.S. are burdened with a mental illness. This equals just about one in five adults. What’s worse is that it often goes untreated. In 2016, just 43 percent of people with mental illness received treatment. This may be for many reasons, but either way suffering is suffering.
Mental illness is often called an invisible illness. Some like schizophrenia or addiction can have visible characteristics, but oftentimes those suffering go unnoticed or hide their illness. Although it’s more accepted now, it still carries a lot of shame. I’ve personally seen how stigmatizing it can be, and how it can wreck a person’s character. Depression is something that I’ve seen personally. It’s affected so many people in my life; it ruins relationships, it brings out nasty parts of people, and words they don’t really mean.
It’s easy to give numbers and statistics, but the only way to really understand the nature of it is to see it in somebody that you love. I know it in people I never would have guessed. I’ve seen it create mountains out of the tiniest molehills. Worst of all though, I see it reduce willful, strong, contrary people to break down when the wind blows. It’s for these people that I would start a nonprofit to benefit. Because too often, they’re ignored, neglected, left alone. It’s about time that somebody looks out for the other guy. Mental illness may be invisible, but it shouldn’t be treated like it.

Works Cited
Ellis, Mary Ellen. “The Real Cost of Untreated Mental Illness in America.” Constellation Behavioral Health, Constellation Behavioral Health, 27 Mar. 2019, www.constellationbehavioralhealth.com/blog/the-real-cost-of-untreated-mental-illness-in-america/.
“Half of Depressed Americans Get No Treatment.” LiveScience, Purch, www.livescience.com/5997-depressed-americans-treatment.html.
“Mental Illness.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml.