May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Research shows that the number one obstacle in seeking treatment for mental illness is stigma. Negative stereotypes and improper understanding of mental illness keep spinning the vicious circle of stigma. To counter this paradox, professional and grassroots organizations, schools, communities, hospitals and even media outlets have joined together in an effort to raise the awareness about mental health.
On the media front, Discovery Health Channel is broadcasting PsychWeek: Six Nights of Understanding. This series takes you into the world of people who experience Anxiety, Rage, Dissociative Disorder, Schizophrenia, Addiction, Bipolar Disorder, Hoarding, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. These individuals and their families give us a glimpse of their life, of their struggles and triumphs. Their courage will help educate about mental illness - and chip away at the stigma that surrounds it as well.
This is what I call "Appointment Television". So clear your schedule or set your DVR. This promises to be a very important series. Click here for complete programming.
If you, or someone you know is struggling, remember, there's no shame in having a mental illness.
Byrne, P. (2010). Challenging healthcare discrimination: COMMENTARY ON ... DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 16 (1), 60-62 DOI: 10.1192/apt.bp.108.006106
11 comments:
Thanks for the links. Blessings.
Thanks for the info Dr Deb, Im glad to say Im back to blogging..take care..Mary
I'm amazed that we still have to deal with stigma issues around therapy. I see the prejudice in the most surprising places. Thank you for this important post.
EVI
That;s an amazing idea!
I can see a lot of good coming out of that special series. Too bad I don't get discovery health.
Thanks for this Deb. Hope all is okay with you.
Awesome. Great for raising awareness! Thanks for the info.
Dr. Deb,
Thank you for this. I knew that it was Mental Health Month and was going to highlight some topics that I haven't before, but this is a great link and resource that I will add to my blog.
Take care,
CC
This is good. Discovery Health has some great programming. I'll try to catch some of it.
jenji
There is so much visible this Mental Health Awareness Day than before. I think that's a good thing!
I missed this. I really need to check blogs more often. I would have liked to have seen the whole series
Thanks for this post. Depression is a serious illness and unfortunately goes untreated or misunderstood way too often. It’s not something that you can just “snap out of”. There are various types of treatments for adolescent depression. I have found Silver Hill Hospital’s website to be very informative.
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