Reid Ewing Teams Up With SAMHSA To Help Mentally Ill Youth

Actor Reid Ewing of the ABC hit series "Modern Family" will join the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to celebrate National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day on Thursday, May 5, at the Jack Morton Auditorium in Washington, D.C.
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Best known for his role as Dylan on "Modern Family," Ewing will serve as Awareness Day 2016 Honorary Chairperson. SAMHSA will present Ewing with a special recognition award for speaking out about his experiences with body dysmorphic disorder and mental health issues, and for encouraging young people in similar situations to seek help.

"Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental illness in which a person obsesses over the way he or she looks. In my case, my looks were the only thing that mattered to me," said Ewing in a Huffington Post Op-Ed.

Ewing began getting plastic surgery in 2008, and said it ruined his face and nearly ruined his life, admitting that "At the beginning of 2012, all the isolation, secrecy, depression, and self-hate became too much to bear. I vowed I would never get cosmetic surgery again even though I was still deeply insecure about my looks."

He said that none of the doctors he saw "had mental health screenings in place for their patients" and that "My history with eating disorders and the cases of obsessive compulsive disorder in my family never came up. None of the doctors suggested I consult a psychologist for what was clearly a psychological issue rather than a cosmetic one. People with body dysmorphic disorder often become addicted to cosmetic surgery."

Ewing teamed up with SAMSHA to raise awareness of the disease so other people who are suffering can seek help.

"Before seeking to change your face, you should question whether it is your mind that needs fixing," he told HuffPo. "I wish I could go back and undo all the surgeries. Now I can see that I was fine to begin with and didn't need the surgeries after all."

This year's event, "Finding Help. Finding Hope." will explore how communities can increase access to behavioral health services�and supports for children, youth, and young adults who experience mental or substance use disorders and their families.
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The national event will feature a highly interactive format in which community leaders, youth and family leaders, law enforcement officials, and behavioral health professionals will discuss how communities can work together to overcome challenges to access behavioral health services. Communities, collaborating organizations, and individuals around the country will participate in Awareness Day Live! activities such as viewing the live webcast and interacting with the onstage discussion by sharing questions or insights via email, Twitter, or text.
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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.
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SAMHSA presents National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day 2016 National Event from 7-8:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at Jack Morton Auditorium, The George Washington University School of Media & Public Affairs, 805 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052.

For more information or to view the event via live webcast, visit http://www.samhsa.gov/children.