DR. DREW PINSKI:
EXPLOITER OR STIGMA FIGHTER?
What should one think of a doctor who opts to treat his patients in front of America instead of in the privacy of his office? I wonder how a doctor could throw ethics and confidentiality out the window in order to increase ratings. Of course, I am talking about the now famous, Dr. Drew Pinsky.

I first heard about Dr. Drew while watching MTV's "Loveline" (the show began in 1983 but still airs on radio). Back in the 90's Dr. Drew used his expertise to answer questions from America's youth. These questions usually centered around relationships, sexuality, drug addiction, etc. I found the show to be interesting because complete strangers would divulge their personal issues for everyone to hear. I guess you could say it was the beginning of reality TV for me. However, it wasn't until "Celebrity Rehab" hit the air waves that I really began to pay attention.

"Celebrity Rehab" began around the time my brother was being immersed into a sea of his own psychiatrists, case managers, nurses, doctors, therapists, etc. I found myself watching because part of me wondered what it must be like for my brother to work on his own recovery one on one with a psychiatrist. But, the other part of me couldn't stop questioning Dr. Drew's motives for the show. Was he exploiting these celebrities to increase his own celebrity? Or was he really trying to show America that it was OK to seek treatment? Stigma is one of the main reasons why individuals will avoid treatment. The media has done a very good job of exploiting mental illness so it is only natural to deny that you may need professional help. In a way, I was glad that finally, someone was showing America first hand, that mental health should never be viewed as black and white. You can't just slap on a band aid and hope for the best. There are far too many layers for a doctor to pull away in order to deal with the root of a mental health issue.

The problem with our society is that we view mental illness as a weakness or flaw when in fact it takes lots of courage, many years of treatment and a deep personal discovery in order to reach recovery. At times, some of these real life situations are a matter of life and death. But it is good for those who are "unaware" to understand the severity of these cases. This will inspire understanding and empathy.

Dr. Drew recently said in an interview that people question his motives since the show falls under the category of "reality TV". In hind sight, he thinks he should have styled the show as a documentary. Maybe then, the "stigma" surrounding reality TV wouldn't cloud judgment or cause people to question his motives. These are small yet necessary steps towards acceptance. The more we discuss these issues the better we will become at combating exploitative media. Freedom of speech needs to be used as a tool to educate, not as a tool for the media to shove fear and horror down our throats. Just another reason why I won't watch the news. Always consumed with the negative. We must surround ourselves with positivity in order to inspire positivity.

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT
I had no idea that a little post on my employer's blog would call attention from those around the globe. If interested, check out this link for my boss' take on my little project. The comments just remind me that these illnesses can impact individuals of any creed, race, etc.

On another positive note, my brother has been out of the hospital for almost a year now. It may have taken a while to reach stability, but he has come a long way. It may sound odd, but last week was the first time he actually talked to me and ASKED ME questions for a change:) He hasn't really talked to any of his siblings in almost 12 months. I hope people do not take these little things for granted with their own loved ones. With most other illnesses, you may always wonder the outcome, but you rarely loose your connections with the person when he/she is right there in front of you. It is almost like the person is gone emotionally but there physically. Like a walking coma. I cherish these few moments of solace with my brother. It makes me feel like he is at peace and that is more important than anything. Hope to be back soon with some more meaningful and thought provoking blog posts.

FIGHTING THE STIGMA ONE STEP AT A TIME

The two emails below give you an idea of how my "Gaining Insight Campaign" continues to surprise me:

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Hi Amber,

Our Mental Illness Awareness Week has concluded and I wanted to write and tell you what an impact your video had on the people who viewed it. We were unable to secure a speaker for our candlelight vigil, so we opted to show your video to the group instead. There were a couple of people attending who suffer from schizophrenia and I think it may have had the biggest impact on them. Seeing themselves portrayed as people of strength and courage instead of people needing to be medicated and pitied surely gave them a much needed sense of pride. I congratulate and thank you for that. All the others that watched the video were very moved and quite surprised at many of the statistics. We were unable to show the video at the art exhibit - the setting wasn't right. However, we were able to show it at our NAMI Family-to-Family Class that week. It so happened to fall during the week we were doing our "empathy" workshop, which made it fit in quite nicely. Everyone was very impressed and everyone wanted your website address!
 

 
We plan to use this video again in May during Mental Health Month and hope to have a showing at the library and invite either a psychiatrist or mental health worker to speak. I'd also like to get a copy of the video that is online on your website. The one that shows each of your pieces and the narrative that describes what each one represents. Could I possibly get that from you? I'd be happy to pay the shipping charges, just let me know how much and I'll mail you a check.
 

 
Thank you again for sharing your beautiful artwork - it makes such a powerful statement and all of us who are in this fight to break stigma and educate the public about mental illnesses appreciate everything you're doing.
 

 
NAMI Mobile Alabama

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Dear Amber,
 
My name is … with the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT (web link here). This month, we are celebrating our tenth anniversary. At this event, our director, Robert Desimone, will give a talk to a large audience about our mission to understand the brain in health and disease. I have been looking for compelling images to illustrate the gravity of psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia and I came across your very moving gallery on gaining-insight.com.
 
 
 
Would you possibly be willing/interested in giving us permission to use your 'psychiatric' painting image in Robert Desimone's talk? Thanks very much and I look forward to hearing back from you.

McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT: Understanding the Brain in Health and Disease

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FIGHTING STIGMA IN THE CLASSROOM

So much to write about but no time to do it :( Still searching for balance while I juggle a new baby, work and well, life! Of course baby comes first, so I apologize for the lack of posts. However, I seem to be getting closer to my dream of fight stigma in the classroom. I received a wonderful email from a publishing company in Australia. They contacted me to ask permission to use the poster (to the left) in a school textbook titled VCE Psychology Units 3 & 4, 4th edition. I was so honored that I had to say yes. To top it off, this poster will be printed in 50,000 textbooks. To think that my little poster could make an impact on students...I am beyond trilled!

In lieu of compensation, I asked the publishing company if they could donate to a mental health charity. They graciously donated $100 to Australia's Sane.org. "SANE Australia is a national charity working for a better life for people affected by mental illness – through campaigning, education and research." If you have a chance, check

out their site. This organization continues to do so much for the

mental health community in Australia. Also, thank you to all my readers who voted and made my blog a top ten blog (see award in right hand column). This will inspire me to keep on blogging!

MEL GIBSON: JUST ANOTHER STATISTIC

As soon as I heard about Mel Gibson's disturbing phone recordings, I was reminded of the statistic that 1 in 4 people are affected by a mental illness (most without even knowing). I then read the following article. I wonder how many other Mel's are out.

Now I am not here to diagnose Mel, but his seemingly off balanced demeanor forces me to look further at the people I have met over the years. I have encountered many people with obvious personality and/or mental flaws (myself included). I am not using the word "flaw" in a negative way, rather to show that something was a bit off or bothering the person. Some of these people I am related to. After my brother became sick, it forced me to evaluate whether there was more undiagnosed illness running in the family. What makes me sad is that most people with paranoid thoughts are so quick to point the finger that they won't detect any imbalance within themselves.

Some family feuds are fueled by mental instability (no matter how small or large the imbalance). Others have attributed there rocky upbringing to undiagnosed mental illness within the family. To this day, I avoid confrontation because I am reminded of the fights that occurred while growing up. Then my OCD kicks in. It causes me to overanalyze things (or find a solution to a problem). I would act as the mediator and attempt to fix the family. This can take a toll on a person. You feel like you are carrying 1,000 pounds of crap that you do not own. So I am trying to accept that not every problem has a solution.

My energy will be spent on raising my child in a home where he feels safe and secure. He will not carry my burden. But I do hope that in the future, these less severe forms of mental illness can be detected by the individual. It takes a lot of courage to evaluate one's self and even more courage to seek help. We can encourage mental health by increasing awareness (and empathy). Thank you for taking to time to sample a rambling mind.

Thought I should post a response I made after reading Amanda's comment (since it relates to the above post): "Amanda...Very well said!! I agree that many are passed off as eccentric. People should look at mental illness in a positive light. Many famous people may not be famous if it wasn't for a metal imbalance. Howard Hughes may not have been as successful with a "NORMAL" mind. If we don't say the words MENTAL ILLNESS or give it a label, then we will never strip away the stigma, thus, the discrimination will continue. I love those who are different/eccentric. They push the boundaries or what we THINK is normal!"

MIA: FORGIVE ME FOR MY ABSENCE

I think you will see from the video/pictures below why I have been absent from blogging. Lucas was born at the end of April and continues to remind me that life is beautiful in every possible way. I hope to be back soon!

BRING CHANGE 2 MIND

I hope you will take a moment to navigate through the following website. I believe the campaign was partially developed by Glen Close (she has a sister with bipolar). Like myself, their mission is to stamp out stigma. Luckily, they are reaching a much larger audience since they have the help of celebrity. I like how they use the approach of wearing the name of their disorder/association. It shows that they have no fear. We must make these words mundane in order to strip away the stereotypes and misconceptions. I hope one day to reach as many people with my message. Let's keep fighting!