Sunday, November 20, 2011

Coming Out of the...Padded Room



Lately I’ve been thinking of how the stigma of mental illness resembles the shame and secrecy that many gay people carried in the past. As more and more people "came out of the closet" the stigma slowly receded and now gay couples have the right to marry in some states and to serve openly in the U.S. military. In my opinion, today it is more acceptable to tell a co-worker that you’re gay than to tell them you have a mental disorder.

Those of us who have been diagnosed with a mental disorder such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or even obsessive compulsive disorder are hesitant to reveal our illness to our supervisors, co-workers and even friends and family. Fear of being judged and treated differently keeps us in silence. Sensational news stories featuring violent crimes carried out by a mentally ill person reinforce the tendency to stay quiet.

Yet according to a rigorous health survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in 2004, an estimated 25 percent of adults in the U.S. reported having a mental illness in the previous year. That means in a room of four people, one of you likely has a mental illness. It could be your teacher, your doctor, your taxi driver or your best friend and you may have no idea.

Professionally, it is especially difficult to admit that you’re living with a mental illness. I wonder “Will it prevent me from getting that promotion? Will I be given less challenging projects? Will I still be invited to Happy Hours? Will people whisper and talk about me behind my back?” Fear of being ostracized, judged and labeled prevents me from coming out to colleagues.

We want to be treated the same as anyone else. Sure we have our faults and weaknesses. We wouldn’t be human without them. But honestly I think I am a better employee, friend, manager and daughter since my diagnosis. Today I appreciate the importance of taking care of myself – eating nutritious foods, getting enough sleep, working out my problems with friends or a trusted therapist instead of keeping them bottled up inside. And if we don’t stand up and speak out, society will continue to equate mental illness with insane criminals and deranged homeless people living on the streets instead of with successful and competent professionals succeeding in http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifsociety. The judgment and fear will be perpetuated indefinitely and change will evade us for years to come.

Jagannath Lamichane started his own NGO - the Nepal Mental Health Foundation - to fight for the rights of the mentally ill in his native country, Nepal. I made his acquaintance on Facebook two years ago when he first embarked on his life’s mission and I recently had the pleasure of meeting him in person. As we sat in an empty diner in Arlington, Virginia watching the spring rain pour outside, he reminded me of our obligation to come out and tell our stories. “That’s the only way the stigma will begin to melt away,” he said. I voiced my hesitation to speak openly about my mental illness among colleagues. “Are you gonna say it in 10 years when it won’t matter anymore?” he asked without judgment. “Or will you say it now?”

I will say it now.

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law


Founded in 1972 by a group of lawyers and mental health professionals, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is a nonprofit organization devoted to improving the lives of people with mental illnesses through changes in policy and law. Focusing on policy advocacy, litigation and public education, the Bazelon Center fights for the rights of people living with mental disorders specifically addressing community integration, self determination, success for all children, access to services and access to courts. Their programs and litigation zero in on housing, employment, education, public systems, health care, the judiciary and more.

Their website also provides useful information on legislation currently being considered in the 112th Congress. The Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization of 2011 would renew and expand existing provisions with the "goal of increasing suicide prevention programs in communities and college campuses across the country. The bill also promotes the development of effective strategies and best practices related to youth suicide prevention."

The Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act is also under consideration. The bill would "assist colleges and universities in successfully attending to the grohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifwing mental health needs in colleges and universities by improving access to mental and behavioral health services on college campuses."

It is important to exercise our power as citizen advocates by calling and writing our Congressional Representatives and Senators and urging them to support legislation that will improve mental health programs and policies in the U.S. The Bazelon Center's website offers a wealth of information to help us do just that. Visit www.bazelon.org for more information.

To find contact information for your Senator of Representative visit http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Movement for Global Mental Health

The Movement for Global Mental Health is a coalition of individuals and institutions committed to collective actions that aim to close the treatment gap for people living with mental disorders worldwide, based on two fundamental principles: evidence on effective treatments and the human rights of people with mental disorders.

Visit http://www.globalmentalhealth.org/articles.html or visit http://www.wmhc2011.com/sites/default/files/The_Movement_for_Global_Mental_Health.pdf to read a recent article in The British Journal of Psychiatry.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

International Master in Mental Health Policy and Services-Application Deadline is January 2012

The International Master in Mental Health Policy and Services is addressed to health professionals willing to develop public health skills in the area of mental health.
The Master aims to provide general training in areas related to:
■ Formulation, implementation and evaluation of mental health policies,
plans and programmes.
■ Organization and evaluation of mental health care and related services.
■ Formulation and implementation of Mental Health Service research.
■ Mental Health Law and Human Rights.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

The International Master in Mental Health
Policy and Services (MHPS) aims at creating an international critical mass of
knowledgeable professionals able:
■ To effectively contribute to improving
Mental Health Policy and Services in their
own countries or in international settings.
■ To promote human rights and human
rights driven legislation.

Applicants from Low and Middle Income countries are encouraged to apply. For more information please visit http://www.globalmentalhealth.org/binary_data/683_lisbon_mastermhps_2012_13_2.pdf.