April 13, 2001

New Guide "Recovering Your Mental Health" Available

"Recovering Your Mental Health, A Self-Help Guide" was released today by
the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) as part of a global effort to bring attention to mental health
during April.

The 32 page booklet published by SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health
Services (CMHS) offers tips on understanding symptoms of depression,
isolation, and other conditions. It explains that there is a range of
resources available to help anyone facing a mental health problem, how to
judge how serious your symptoms are, psychological "first aid" you can
provide yourself, and how to seek and get help. The advantages of
counseling, the medications available to help people through a mental
health crisis, additional options for professional help, relaxation
techniques, and paths to "positive thinking" are also detailed.

"If we are faced with a broken arm or even a bad cold, we often know what
outside help to seek and what to do to help ourselves heal," said Joseph
H. Autry III, M.D. acting Administrator of SAMHSA. "If we find ourselves
with mental health problems, what to do next isn't nearly so clear. The
path to wellness is often the same - a combination of professional help,
and a better understanding of what we can do to help ourselves. The goal
of this new booklet is to help mental health consumers become better
educated in the management of their own care."

CMHS Director Bernard S. Arons, M.D., said, "All avenues of public
education must be used to overcome the misperceptions that belie the
present-day realities of mental illness. This publication is one
educational tool to accomplish the task."

Presented as part of the World Health Organization's efforts this month
to raise public awareness on the need to improve mental health around the
globe, copies of "Recovering Your Mental Health, A Self-Help Guide," can
be ordered free of charge from the CMHS clearinghouse by calling
1-800-789-CMHS or through the Internet at www.samhsa.gov. and then click
on CMHS.

CMHS is a component of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for
improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention,
addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States.
Information on SAMHSA's programs is available on the Internet at
www.samhsa.gov. News media requests should be directed to Media Services
at (800) 487-4890.