Startling Statistics About American Psychology

"What are you, crazy?" It's a common question that people either say in jest or say upon reacting to a stressor in their life, but as data becomes more well-known, asking such as question may be found to be considered offensive to some people. 25% of people, in fact.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one out of four Americans suffers from a mental illness. While the spectrum is broad and there's an emphasis on mood disorders and depression, their statistics can shed some much-needed light as to why some people appear to be more difficult than others.

Twenty-five percent. I've been using this statistic in conversations over the past few years mostly on a one-on-one basis with people. There hasn't been an opportunity to use it in any presentation. It's still an important fact to me and can explain some unexplained behavior I've witnessed or heard about in the past.

Off the top of your head, besides one of your family members, who would you label as "crazy?" If you thought that many homeless people must be crazy (the ones who are most often found talking or even arguing with themselves), you'd actually be mistaken. According to the Arizona University of Education's web site, just 20-25% of homeless people (nearly the same percentage as the sample of the general public) suffer from serious mental illness in America.

After 30 years of experience as a human being, combined with a plethora of conversations and evaluations in addition to the research I've done and the classes I've taken, I feel I'm a good judge of character. With no psychological credentials beyond coursework, some have suggested that I use the term "intuition" when it comes to my understanding of the human condition. Whatever it may be, I hope to provide assistance to people that are resistant to understanding, accepting, and forgiving people for behaving in ways that one could label as "crazy."

Whether or not one isn't well today, the next day, or everyday, considering the facts of American life may help us deal with what we assume are difficult people. Don't always jump to conclusions; don't always make assumptions; and don't always think that people are trying to be difficult. Many people don't know they aren't well until patterns develop and they are confronted about their behavior. This is often the perfect time for interventions to take place by loved ones.

I should have studied psychology.