Stigma: Changing the Conversation and Changing Lives

<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><br /><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWHM3yhSCuIGMzgilriYMiEEPlQsVbXYxX46fwUAx5TgwXpcW5Fg1gJZ9L2pOgZPO6cMXmKyqCwmWmUVhyOG38qkJdFug_Uc_YZz_yRLgjyGg7JNLs0iikWjFgc-76qj4yNELzfQVo3Tv/s1600/Binder+headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWHM3yhSCuIGMzgilriYMiEEPlQsVbXYxX46fwUAx5TgwXpcW5Fg1gJZ9L2pOgZPO6cMXmKyqCwmWmUVhyOG38qkJdFug_Uc_YZz_yRLgjyGg7JNLs0iikWjFgc-76qj4yNELzfQVo3Tv/s1600/Binder+headshot.jpg" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Renee Binder, MD<br />APA President</span></td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was reminded recently of the death of an acquaintance who was at the top of her career when she died suddenly after complications from surgery, according to her obituary. I later learned that she had died from suicide, possibly in response to her struggle with chronic pain and resulting depression. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Stigma serves as a barrier to seeking treatment often because of fears of discrimination. A few years ago, a patient requested that I not keep any records and wanted to pay me in cash. He was concerned that if his psychiatric records were ever discovered, his career could be negatively impacted. Were this man’s concerns legitimate? In a more public incident Sen. Tom Eagleton was forced to withdraw as a candidate for vice president in 1972 after it became public that he had suffered from depression and undergone ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). </span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuWUcl4ShKpsk347yYenuTebnQgYL0TGvpV-JjbBYX9hLQjJ-KYNC67doTpwplPKDybskMqp8PpPHF9SV-qBrIBxbbAfsKk-J64t2lCrpcvALruOYVFxIUXp7tfKL4FWtixKBHeTYkkIR/s1600/shutterstock_214411201+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuWUcl4ShKpsk347yYenuTebnQgYL0TGvpV-JjbBYX9hLQjJ-KYNC67doTpwplPKDybskMqp8PpPHF9SV-qBrIBxbbAfsKk-J64t2lCrpcvALruOYVFxIUXp7tfKL4FWtixKBHeTYkkIR/s200/shutterstock_214411201+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />According to the <i>Merriam-Webster Dictionary</i>, the definition of stigma is a set of negative and unfair beliefs that a society or group of people has about something; it is a mark of shame or discredit. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />How can we begin to address mental health stigma? Here are several ideas: We need courageous spokespersons who are willing to come forward and talk about mental health issues that they or their families are experiencing. Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy is one such champion. He has openly discussed his struggles with mental illness and substance abuse and how treatment has helped him lead a productive and rewarding life.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can learn from the LGBT community and their struggles with stigma and negative stereotypes. They have taught us that “coming out” by public figures and celebrities can decrease stigma.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Another way of combating stigma is for my fellow mental health professions, psychiatrists and others, to take responsibility for examining the language that is used by the media and in our society. Words such as “lunatic,” “crazy person,” or “maniac” convey images of people who are out of control and dangerous rather than people who are experiencing a mental illness and deserve our compassion and support in getting effective treatments. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Mental health professionals and others can take an active role in drawing attention to language and advocating for more appropriate, compassionate and less stigmatizing language. Mental health care is an essential part of health care. Almost everyone will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in his or her lifetime.. But for people to be willing to access the mental health care they need, we have to continue the fight against stigma.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrznyfQzhD3Paw16noGqeepe8gmuLiUa-hW4zLb7cKoV-1idKNCFaqIsUkz_Ha6kPa0uew25714tXiAt9houBjaZX6wFLhH2BzisT-Qe3oV8YPutVZIHdMUbrsRSzuhC0ffzC5oUzKFa6/s1600/shutterstock_190903178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrznyfQzhD3Paw16noGqeepe8gmuLiUa-hW4zLb7cKoV-1idKNCFaqIsUkz_Ha6kPa0uew25714tXiAt9houBjaZX6wFLhH2BzisT-Qe3oV8YPutVZIHdMUbrsRSzuhC0ffzC5oUzKFa6/s320/shutterstock_190903178.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />If we are successful in addressing stigma, and we must be, then not only will we change the conversation, we will also change people’s lives and change the culture. We will finally reach the point where all of us can openly talk about someone’s death by suicide and encourage people with mental health problems to seek the help they need without fear of judgment or harmful repercussions.<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Renée Binder, M.D., APA President </span>

discrimination mental health conversation mental illness stigma Stigma: Changing the Conversation and Changing Lives

Renee Binder, MD APA President I was reminded recently of the death of an acquaintance who was at the top of her career when she died sudden...

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Know Your Rights: Fair Insurance Coverage for Mental Health

<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaAmldN1NocjkIjo-b8DhGsZHsatxC2W3PhbK-eb_mRksge5T9Zw72q3w3JLF1aHPdJKTqeOuRMvD0nRY9mqLUUAzd1JVUie3j3iZy-bY0v9Mr3v61ygn4Ro1obrAtK0O-oEmtC-SfMmr/s1600/Parity+poster+2015+Eng.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaAmldN1NocjkIjo-b8DhGsZHsatxC2W3PhbK-eb_mRksge5T9Zw72q3w3JLF1aHPdJKTqeOuRMvD0nRY9mqLUUAzd1JVUie3j3iZy-bY0v9Mr3v61ygn4Ro1obrAtK0O-oEmtC-SfMmr/s320/Parity+poster+2015+Eng.JPG" width="209" /></a><br /><br />Federal<br />law is clear that health insurance companies cannot discriminate against people<br />seeking care for mental illness or addiction. But how do you know if your insurance<br />company is not complying with the law? What can you do if you suspect a<br />violation?<o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />The<br />American Psychiatric Association (APA) created a tool to help answer these<br />questions. The poster titled, “<a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Practice/Parity/APAParityRightsPoster.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Fair Insurance Coverage: It’s the Law</span></a>”<br />(<a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Practice/Parity/APAParityRightsPoster-Spanish.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">Spanish-language version</span></a>), clearly and<br />simply explains the law and the steps to take if you suspect a violation. <o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />The<br />poster is intended to help enforce federal law and end discrimination.  Print it out and share the link (<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/parity"><span style="color: blue;">www.psychiatry.org/parity</span></a>)</span>.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyQndN2uNQYZNkFQ19effKdd7bbtmQJq5Zkyc_4NZwJH9VlwkzELkW0BUCrxRvG4rIrE9mmbe-XPEL3eKYfiYyLLOs20wfhLJ1aZOdCQBr8Js27odSxqrWsrwv5eY4sz9hfxlbFmH8enW/s1600/Parity+Poster+2015+Span.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyQndN2uNQYZNkFQ19effKdd7bbtmQJq5Zkyc_4NZwJH9VlwkzELkW0BUCrxRvG4rIrE9mmbe-XPEL3eKYfiYyLLOs20wfhLJ1aZOdCQBr8Js27odSxqrWsrwv5eY4sz9hfxlbFmH8enW/s320/Parity+Poster+2015+Span.JPG" width="207" /></a>By<br />understanding your rights and taking action you can help ensure fair coverage<br />for yourself and your family, and you can help others by holding insurance<br />companies accountable.<o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><b>What Federal Law Requires<o:p></o:p></b></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />The Mental Health<br />Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires any group health plan that covers more<br />than 50 employees and offers mental health and/or substance use disorders<br />coverage to provide that coverage with no greater financial requirements (such<br />as co-pays, deductibles, annual or life-time dollar limits) or treatment<br />limitations than the requirements the plan applies to medical / surgical<br />benefits. <o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><br /><br />Also,<br />under the Affordable Care Act, new individual and small group plans in and<br />outside of the mandated <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/mental-health-substance-abuse-coverage">health<br />insurance exchanges are required to offer mental and substance use<br />disorder coverage</a><a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/mental-health-substance-abuse-coverage"> similar to medical/surgical benefits</a></span>.</div><br /><o:p></o:p><br /><br /><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />In addition to federal law, 49 states<br />and D.C. currently have laws relating to insurance coverage for mental health<br />and substance use.  More information,<br />including a summary table of state laws, is available from the <href health="" http:="" mental-health-benefits-state-mandates.aspx="" research="" www.ncsl.org=""><u><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Corbel","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">National Conference of State Legislators</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Corbel","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-themecolor: text1;">.</span></span></u></href></div><br /><o:p></o:p><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">By Deborah Cohen, senior writer, American Psychiatric Association</span></div><br />

health care insurance stigma treatment Know Your Rights: Fair Insurance Coverage for Mental Health

Federal law is clear that health insurance companies cannot discriminate against people seeking care for mental illness or addiction. But ho...

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Reducing the Stigma of Addiction

<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><br /><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfAzHlSzQfLdav-OwBive8XxvEg89NAtX7apMNaNi80-FP6uyvU97g1RtkAHFNOM-nv8TLKEvUtm6FtY64kPRzyH7Ekj2ImqVRKgI156bYbsIIh6c3dPARl2hvVoV90wsfHYMVJVaOazc/s1600/Nora+Volkow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfAzHlSzQfLdav-OwBive8XxvEg89NAtX7apMNaNi80-FP6uyvU97g1RtkAHFNOM-nv8TLKEvUtm6FtY64kPRzyH7Ekj2ImqVRKgI156bYbsIIh6c3dPARl2hvVoV90wsfHYMVJVaOazc/s1600/Nora+Volkow.jpg" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nora Volkow, MD, Director, NIDA</span></td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Addiction is common – an estimated 1 in 11 people in the United States experiences a substance use disorder in a given year. Despite significant advances in understanding and treatment, stigma still prevents many people from seeking help.</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nora Volkow, M.D., director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, speaking recently at the APA’s Annual Meeting in Toronto, talked about some of the recent advances in the understanding of addiction and called on psychiatrists to help reduce the stigma of addiction and “help to eliminate the shame and suffering that accompany the addict who experiences relapse after relapse after relapse.”</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Volkow opened her speech with a moving and emotional story of how she learned of her grandfather’s alcoholism and suicide. He had died when she was a girl of 6 in Mexico, but Volkow’s mother did not reveal the truth of her grandfather’s addiction and death until many years later, when her mother was dying and after Volkow had already achieved distinction as an addiction expert.</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a dramatic illustration of the despair experienced by people who have an addiction and continue to engage in a behavior that they may know is destroying them. She described how it was once believed that addiction was a disorder of hyperactive reward centers in the brain—that people with addiction s sought out drugs or alcohol because they were especially sensitive to the pleasure-inducing effects of dopamine.</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Volkow explained that in recent years research has revealed just the opposite: that those with addiction are actually less sensitive to the effects of dopamine. They seek out drugs because of the very potency with which they can increase dopamine in the brain, often at the expense of other pleasurable natural stimulants that do not increase dopamine so dramatically</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moreover, she emphasized that addiction to drugs disrupts multiple systems in the brain that govern the ability to plan, anticipate, and change behavior in response to changing circumstances. Volkow said it is this phenomenon that accounts for the “craving” experienced by addicts and alcoholics in response to environmental triggers—often leading to what she characterized in the account of her grandfather’s death as that “one last moment of self-hatred.”</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adapted from <i>Psychiatric News</i></span></div><br />

addiction stigma substance abuse Reducing the Stigma of Addiction

Nora Volkow, MD, Director, NIDA Addiction is common – an estimated 1 in 11 people in the United States experiences a substance use disorder ...

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The Power of Words: Addressing the Stigma of Mental Illness

<div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">J</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">enna Bowen, medical student, University of Wisconsin</span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reviewed by Claudia Reardon, MD <b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjuxnODpgE7CFNM3KjYSlmPQvRRiB9yA0DKS74XMm5FNduhys-T7ZWa55_y1JFQJhakrBfC8C1OCtqxe66n4lary5INE5Aamk9Lv_ahomdWqdNQcPxlZs9zr8Z60m7gH8_cAuidXArjF3/s1600/stigma+STOP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjuxnODpgE7CFNM3KjYSlmPQvRRiB9yA0DKS74XMm5FNduhys-T7ZWa55_y1JFQJhakrBfC8C1OCtqxe66n4lary5INE5Aamk9Lv_ahomdWqdNQcPxlZs9zr8Z60m7gH8_cAuidXArjF3/s1600/stigma+STOP.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crazy.  Insane.  Deranged. Mad.  Lunatic. —Misused as nouns, adjectives and<br />lay-diagnoses, their use perpetuates stereotypes of the wide variety of people<br />who experience mental illness. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Maybe you know someone or, more likely, a number of people who<br />experience depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or other brain disorders.  According to the National Institute of Mental<br />Health, 1 in 4 American adults and 1 in 5 American youth experience a form of<br />mental illness every year. People with mental illness are teachers, accountants,<br />neighbors, sisters, fathers and friends. Anyone you know could be experiencing<br />mental illness, but afraid to come forward and be treated. Maybe that person is<br /></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">you.</i></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">People living with mental illness continue to have an identity<br />that is beyond a diagnosis, similar to other medical conditions. While managing<br />mental illness may be challenging at times—similar to challenges faced by<br />people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or other medical illness— there is<br />greater difficulty in getting the treatment needed because of feelings of shame<br />and stigma surrounding mental illness. However, treatment for mental illness<br />works. Research shows the majority (65 percent to 80 percent) of individuals<br />with mental disorders will improve with appropriate treatment</span> and ongoing<br />monitoring.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> People with mental illness need to know that they will continue<br />to be seen as people – your brother, best friend, daughter —and not “crazed” or<br />“insane” if they appropriately seek help for a treatable medical condition that<br />they happen to be experiencing.</span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1k00z9VaJRnEm_-ZpKnnKsiziWlJtA42rTHdUlwknp-sIzieP3JaX7RE3cJaInwazB2l3DuxdYzvJjfDu1YGG_swNjrsc8zNcg1Cj4LGNHbKMSinvfFkQ9I1u2Ode8281unpzOrovTUW/s1600/Bring+Change+2+Mind+logo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1k00z9VaJRnEm_-ZpKnnKsiziWlJtA42rTHdUlwknp-sIzieP3JaX7RE3cJaInwazB2l3DuxdYzvJjfDu1YGG_swNjrsc8zNcg1Cj4LGNHbKMSinvfFkQ9I1u2Ode8281unpzOrovTUW/s1600/Bring+Change+2+Mind+logo.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Bring Change 2 Mind, an organization aimed to end stigma and<br />discrimination surrounding mental illness, offers recommendations to reduce<br />your impact on the stigma surrounding those with mental illness.</span><br /><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><br /></div><br /><ul><br /><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Use "person first" vocabulary. When we say a person is<br />schizophrenic, we make their mental illness fully define their identity.<br />Instead, be clear that this is a disease that individuals manage and live with—<br />"He is living with schizophrenia."</span></span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Avoid the verb "suffers" when discussing mental illness.<br />Instead, choose, "lives with mental illness" or "is affected by<br />mental illness."</span></span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">There are many phrases and terms; "crazy,"<br />"nuts", "psycho", "schizo", "retard"<br />and "lunatic" that may seem insignificant, but really aren't.</span></span></li><br /></ul><br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG940P9p8vxnFgv45VK8I-2JPkhAQ2le401HZ82HPiuIZFdASxXOgJPHNtJGQvm6OHH9Tmb6pmWQBZgZYspqrEd9BZgM6YLpc9h_cEcAEGpa4fQ3PvuN3oeg3AOtAElnzdLryVSFOCi1X7/s1600/Bring+Change+2+Mind+group.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG940P9p8vxnFgv45VK8I-2JPkhAQ2le401HZ82HPiuIZFdASxXOgJPHNtJGQvm6OHH9Tmb6pmWQBZgZYspqrEd9BZgM6YLpc9h_cEcAEGpa4fQ3PvuN3oeg3AOtAElnzdLryVSFOCi1X7/s1600/Bring+Change+2+Mind+group.JPG" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be an advocate for those that you know, and the many that you<br />don’t know, who are living with some form of mental illness by breaking down stigma,<br />and being conscious of language surrounding brain disorders<b><i>. </i></b>To learn more check<br />out:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><br /><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">        <br /></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://bringchange2mind.org/get-involved/spread-the-word/"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Bring<br />Change 2 Mind</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><br /><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">        <br /></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Take_Action/Fight_Stigma/Fight_Stigma_StigmaBusters.htm"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">NAMI<br />– Stigma Busters</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><br /><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">        <br /></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://promoteacceptance.samhsa.gov/"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Resource Center to Promote Acceptance, Dignity and<br /> Social Inclusion Associated with Mental Health</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> (SAMHSA)</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><br /><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">        <br /></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/advocacy--newsroom/newsroom/reporting-on-mental-illness">Mental<br />Health Terminology:  Words Matter</a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><br /><br /></div><br />

anxiety bipolar disorder depression mental illness stigma The Power of Words: Addressing the Stigma of Mental Illness

J enna Bowen, medical student, University of Wisconsin Reviewed by Claudia Reardon, MD Crazy.  Insane.  Deranged. Mad.  Lunatic. —Misused as...

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Big Trash

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs52XI-R5A5hbyYHazEoQj4pE_wES7WXKBgA1NGZnS2-1d4mzRBChbM4Gy6da-BJRikq7dlcyO_2lvpdN2-Vb7Rc8yCVJJF-iYFcRR6xGwKwDvZQF9exSsnE5HAU_Sqft-IeZJmt7da0Q/s1600/bigtrash.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs52XI-R5A5hbyYHazEoQj4pE_wES7WXKBgA1NGZnS2-1d4mzRBChbM4Gy6da-BJRikq7dlcyO_2lvpdN2-Vb7Rc8yCVJJF-iYFcRR6xGwKwDvZQF9exSsnE5HAU_Sqft-IeZJmt7da0Q/s1600/bigtrash.png" /></a></div> Like most home buyers, I toured the house with my family, checking closet space and bathtubs and finally descended into the basement to see if it has any potential. It was a very large and dark basement mostly unfinished, but the scene in front of us was breathtaking. Thousands of glass jars and bottles of every conceivable shape and color, sparkling clean and neatly stacked in groups by size and shape, some in small pyramids, on a myriad of shelves, small tables and wooden crates. There were no labels on any of them and there were no tops. The ex-Marine Sergeant who built the house in the fifties and lived there ever since, must have spent a lot of time cleaning, processing, sorting and arranging glass containers for what seemed like an awful lot of years. Why did he do that? What did he see in those glass mazes he built in his basement? I never found out. We bought the house almost eight years ago, and had a “guy” come by and remove everything that was not nailed to the walls before the painters and floor refinishers showed up. Sgt. C.’s big collection of empty glass shells ended up as Big Trash, because although empty containers may hold certain fascination, particularly for those who lived through the Great Depression, there is absolutely nothing useful you can do with a basement full of glass. <br /> <br /> We as a species are now collecting data. We’re not sure exactly why or how we’re going to use it, but we are convinced that we cannot, should not, discard any electronically recorded piece of information. You may clear your browsing history on your own computer, but somewhere, somehow, someone retains that information. You may delete all your text messages from your own phone, but they may still exist in some database somewhere in some cloud. You may delete your old emails, but somewhere there will still be a record for them. Your tweets, your Facebook messages, all other social media participation, every syllable you ever typed and every tag or image you touched, all these things are being neatly catalogued and stored in some data basement somewhere. And now we have apps that most of what they do, other than show you that cheesecake has more calories than turnips, is to collect even more bits and pieces of information and add them to that big basement in the sky.<br /> <br /> Previous generations of human beings created as much data as we do. They shopped and traveled and engaged in conversations. They kept diaries and every single one ate, slept, walked, breathed in and out, had a heartbeat, loved and hated things, experienced profound happiness and despair, and when all was said and done, discarded the containers of life without a second thought. We are the generation of the Great Information age, and just like Sgt. C. we feel compelled to keep everything that was scarce and hard to come by only a few years ago. We talk about treasure troves and are so very certain that all those mountains of carefully scrubbed and meticulously arranged pieces of information will yield some miraculous result any day now. And if it’s not clear what miracle exactly, that’s because we need more data and we need to arrange it in other ways. I wonder if Sgt. C. was consciously shopping for foods packaged in glass containers, just so he can add another shiny piece of the puzzle to his collection. <br /> <br /> I’d like to imagine that when Mrs. Sgt. C. whipped up a batch of her famous tomato sauce, she would stroll down to the basement and pick a nice jar to store the sauce in, or when Sgt. C. brought her flowers for her birthday, she would pick the nicest blue glass container to put the fresh daisies in. She probably never had to buy those ugly plastic Tupperware things either. There was some utility in Sgt. C.’s glass collection, but did it really warrant giving up an entire basement and countless hours of maintenance work? There is some utility in our big data collection too. When we need to sell tomato sauce or flowers to people, we can dig through our data basement and find just the right message and the right people to send that message to. Today’s Mad Men need not be as “creative” as Don Draper had to be in order to increase sales and profits for clients.<br /> <br /> If Sgt. C. could have collected all the glass jars in the world and if he could have shared them with all people in this world, nobody would have needed to worry about storage for their secret recipe potato salad ever again. If we could listen to, collect and analyze every heartbeat in the world, we could instantly identify impeding disaster, and correct the problem. We could be saving lives judged worth saving. If we could know in real-time when people are sad, we could make them happy in real-time. If we could know in advance which people would become ill and exactly when, we could tell them and maybe treat them if it made economic sense. Eventually, we could ensure that all our babies are born healthy and with proper monitoring live long, productive and happy lives. <br /> <br /> Mrs. Sgt. C. died at the turn of the new millennium, and Sgt. C. died a few short years after that. He never knew what eventually befell his glass containers collection. I am grateful for that. Perhaps if someone other than us would have bought his old house, those beautiful glass jars would still be there today and perhaps more would have been added. Perhaps a pattern would have emerged and something great would have happened. But it did not because I trashed his life’s work. We will most likely all die before our collection of digital shells of life will yield any benefits or alter the definition of humanity in any significant manner, and we will never know if our data basements will be preserved or relegated to the Big Trash pile. I am grateful for that too.</div>

resilience stigma Big Trash

Like most home buyers, I toured the house with my family, checking closet space and bathtubs and finally descended into the basement to s...

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