Most of our citizenry are unaware that we are now embroiled in just such a war.  I'm NOT talking about the war on terror or "radical Islamic extremists."  Nor am I talking about the Iraq war.  I am talking about the deadly, silent and sometimes secret war on mental illnesses.  Twenty per cent of our citizens, at one point in their life, must face the harsh realities of these devastating and endemic illnesses.  [Our losses to mental illnesses, be these fellow citizens or our treasure, exceed our losses in most, if not all, of the military wars in which this country has engaged.]  If you are unable to envision the dangers to which I allude, I recommend that you read "The Invisible Plague" by E. Fuller Torrey, M.D. and Judy Miller.  [You can find this book on Amazon.com.]

Even ignoring the costs to the nation of lost productivity due to mental illnesses and the wasted costs of providing what we know to be far less than adequate care, which greatly protracts and thereby increases our costs of treatment, our loss in purely personal terms is monstrous.  We simply cannot continue in this fashion.

We need to substantially improve public education concerning mental illnesses.  [Individuals that are in recovery from mental illness may be uniquely qualified to do this.]  I believe that if all of our citizenry knew the truth about mental illnesses, if they knew that effective treatments are available and that persons with mental illnesses do recover, they would rally to the common cause and declare war on these devastating conditions.

It is most assuredly not my intention in this blog to denigrate in any way the efforts at public education carried on relentlessly by such organizations as NAMI [National Alliance on Mental Illness] and their devoted members who spend countless hours in this endeavor.  They are, in fact, leaders in this effort to serve the public good.  The impact of their efforts has been growing every year.  Perhaps someday their sacrifices will no longer be required.

In closing, I paraphrase Robert Kennedy who said that "some see the world as it is and ask why.  I see things that have never been and ask why not."

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Please remember, this writing reflects my own experience and opinions.  If you, or a loved one, are experiencing the symptoms of schizophrenia, or any other mental illness, you should seek professional assistance.