Grace Napolitano: “Mr. Speaker, for far too long the topic of mental health has been pushed aside and swept under the rug. You don't see…”

“Mr. Speaker, for far too long the topic of mental health has been pushed aside and swept under the rug. You don't see it, you don't talk about it, and you don't hear about it. It connotes people are crazy. However, we cannot continue to ignore that mental illness does not discriminate. It touches all regardless of race, of gender, of class or of religion. It is time we address this issue at the forefront honestly and openly. Too many of our family members of our friends, our coworkers and especially our veterans and soldiers have had to suffer with mental illnesses in silence. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, 57 million Americans suffer from some form of mental illness. Despite findings that most mental illnesses are highly treatable, only one in three individuals suffering from these illnesses seek and or receive any treatment. This low treatment can be attributed to the strong stigma associated with mental health issue that is still pervade and persist. Twenty percent of our United States population suffers from a diagnosable, treatable mental disorder, making the mental illness the leading cause of disability in our Nation, affecting our businesses and our economy.”