To the Editor:

According to a 2011 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAHMHSA) 46.6 million US adults 18 or older had a mental illness in the past year.

Over 20.6 million people age 12 or older were classified as substance abusers or dependents in the past year. This is a very high percentage of the population yet many of them continue without treatment.

One main reason many do not seek treatment is due to the negative stigma place upon people with these illnesses.

Stigma is defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary as a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that society or a group of people have about something. When many people think of these illnesses they make many assumptions that are inaccurate and untrue.

One example is employment status. While many people believe that most people who abuse drugs are unemployed, most of them maintain full time employment. Most are productive members of society who need help to overcome an illness.

To help with these issues, we as a community need to reduce the stigma toward those with mental illness or substance abuse.

We should not pass judgment on people with these illnesses, but should encourage them to seek out treatment and improve their lives. Hopefully this will result in individuals seeking and receiving treatment for their disorders enabling them to enjoy full and productive lives.

Instead of finding ways to find fault with people, we should be finding ways to help them. Treatment works, people recover, and New Yorkers are well worth the investment.

Rick Norris

Massena Drug-Free Coalition