Seeking help when you’re feeling down or blue for weeks or even months is something that many people feel uncomfortable doing. Most people do not think twice about looking for treatment for physical health problems like a broken leg rather than reach out for a mental health problem like addiction. Perhaps it is because a broken leg is visible and treatable in a straightforward manner and likely to garner sympathy from family and friends. Being addicted to alcohol may or may not be visible depending on how successful the person is at hiding the addiction, but it isn’t as straightforward to treat and it isn’t going to garner support from family or friends. People often think of mental ill health or addiction as evidence of a weak character or lack of willpower, but it is an illness like any other that requires professional treatment. Read More

Sujata Kelkar Shetty, PhD, writes on public health issues and is a research scientist trained at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, US.