As a youth living with mental health conditions, the child and adolescent behavioral health units at a local hospital were a space where I spent more time than I ever would have wanted to. As I struggled for my well-being and watched others fighting for their lives as we faced conditions associated with mortality by suicide, the term "behavioral" felt somewhat hurtful. Were we all misbehaving? Could we stop the act at any time if we wanted to? I only wished that were the case.

Today, the term "behavioral health" is commonly used as a synonym for mental health, particularly in inpatient treatment settings and spaces that service youth. Yet, often, conditions falling under the umbrella of behavioral health, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and others, involve much more than behavior. A person's entire experience of reality can be altered.

Compared........

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