Coping with life's circumstances can require professional aid. We are here to help.

When the Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin collapsed on the football field after going into cardiac arrest, it became apparent that many of his teammates on the field that night were having bouts of anxiety just waiting and watching as the tragedy unfolded.

Within a short time, the NFL realized that the mental health of all of the players needed to be addressed. That in turn called attention to the fact that at times, everyone may need professional help to cope with life’s circumstances.

“There has always been a stigma attached to mental health and it’s something we’re working hard to change,” said Gyl Switzer, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

“A lot of the people who work for NAMI have serious mental illnesses, and that’s why we like to stress that treatment works."

In fact, nearly one in five American adults will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year, according to the national education and advocacy nonprofit Mental Health America.

Under the mental health umbrella, anxiety disorders are most prevalent. Mental health professionals agree that the fear and isolation brought on by the recent pandemic have only exacerbated this particular problem.

But mental health issues are very expansive to treat, and include everything from bipolar disorder and clinical depression to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, along with autism spectrum disorders. Included also are post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia with psychosis, as well as eating disorders, and beyond.

All of the disorders are described in the bible of psychiatry and psychology, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

As a society we throw words like “depressed” around fairly frequently, but being depressed about something specific and shortlived is not analogous to being clinically depressed. Likewise, it's important to differentiate between those who experience anxiety about something in particular and those with a lingering diagnosed problem.

It is those distinctions which this supplement will address, along with describing in detail some of the most common mental health disorders — and most importantly, where to get help.

The most important thing to remember is that mental health disorders are no different than any other ailments we face, whether it’s heart disease, diabetes or cancer.

These are brain disorders that can be treated. Those diagnosed and treated earlier, fare much better.

“If someone rings NAMI’s doorbell in crisis, we will deescalate the situation,” explained Gladys Campbell, LCSW, Director of Education for NAMI. “We’ll then get them to the proper people for help.”

It is in that spirit that we move forward in detailing mental health disorders, in the hope that if the signs and symptoms sound familiar, and you or someone you care about needs help, the resources and tools will be provided to direct you to vitally needed treatment.