The person on the bus next to you, the co-worker down the hall, the teacher in the classroom and the little kid playing in the front yard could all have a mental illness and nobody would ever know. Mental illness is often misrepresented and poorly portrayed in media, advertising and entertainment.

More individuals are affected by mental illness than most would expect. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older #(about one in four adults) suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.”

One of the most common stereotypes about an individual with a mental health disability is that they are dangerous and capable of committing a serious crime. First, anyone is capable of committing a crime. Second, considering the fact that one in four Americans have a mental illness, most Americans are not in prison or on the streets committing violent acts. If this stereotype was true, extreme crime would be a lot higher than what it is considering all the Americans with a mental illness. Studies have shown that gender and age have more influence on whether or not an individual commits a crime than a mental illness does. Individuals with mental illness can live a normal life and be very affluent and successful.

Our society still has a hard time accepting individuals with mental health disabilities into the community, workplace, and their homes. The stigma often forces individuals with mental illness into social isolation. It is misconstrued that individuals with serious mental health diagnoses like bipolar or schizophrenia are not very intelligent and can not make rational decisions. This is so far from the truth. Individuals with these disorders hold jobs and have degrees.

Thanks to the passing of Timothy's Law, insurance companies are starting to recognize that mental health disabilities require treatment as much as physical disabilities. Even so, insurance companies are still limiting plans. This implies that mental illness is not taken as seriously as other medical conditions and does not deserve the same amount of attention. As defined by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), “Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others. #Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.”

There are more individuals who want treatment than those who refuse it. If more mental health services were available and affordable through insurance plans, those who should and want to obtain treatment would be able to do so.

Look around you. Anyone at any time can develop a mental illness. They are not always permanent. They are not always untreatable. They are not life damaging. And they are not something to be feared. The mental health community has worked hard to try to break down the barriers and stigmas. Take the time to learn more about mental illness before forming opinions based on stereotypes and misrepresentation of the facts.

Amanda Derby is the housing advocate for Options for Independence.