TO WRITE: Alternatives to Discrimination
I've been listening closely to advertisements for haunted houses this Halloween season. Last year an organization whose name I've gladly forgotten got national attention for creating a scary experience in what they called a mental hospital or psych ward, and for using numerous terms derogatory to the mentally ill, as well as trying to frighten people with the ideas of straight-jackets and unanesthetized electroshock treatments. Probably without thinking about what they were doing (I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here), they were painting mentally ill people as frightening, violent and dangerous. We are none of those things. Fortunately, after many letters and much protest, the group changed their theme entirely.

We've all probably felt some stigma around mental illness -- the comments from others that you should pull yourself out of your depression, or the dismissal of one's symptoms and oneself as "psycho." Very sadly, the worst result of the stigma around mental illness is that it causes many people to NOT seek treatment that could help them.

Play with this. . .
There are three sections to this exercise. First, write continuously for 10 minutes about any stigma you've been the object of for any reason -- your gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, height, weight, age, etc. Then write for 10 more minutes on stigma you've experienced or observed pertaining to mental conditions. Finally, write for five more minutes on what you could tell yourself or that stigmatizer that would make you feel better about the situation -- perhaps pointing out to your boss or relative that you are coping with an actual illness and you are working hard to get well, or perhaps giving yourself a positive affirmation or self-talk to counter an uninformed or unkind comment.

TO READ: Genetic Testing for Bipolar
How would you feel if your psychiatrist could simply run a blood test to diagnose bipolar disorder? Recent research describes early studies that do just that. According to a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) press release, University of Southern California scientists have identified 10 specific genes involved in mood state. Using blood tests to determine whether each gene is active, and correlating this information with 29 bipolar patients' mood states, they found that eventually they could actually predict moods.

So what do you think? Is this what we've been seeking all along -- a definitive diagnosis that might mean more accurate and faster-working treatments? Or do you worry about that information falling into the wrong hands? And would this genetic information lead to more stigmatization (ie -- you're definitely "mentally ill") or less (ie -- it's clearly a biological issue, not a character weakness)?

According to NAMI, MSNBC.com did a poll of 10,000 readers and found that 83% thought a blood test would be a good idea since it could help patients get appropriate treatment. I suspect a poll of 10,000 people with mood disorders would yield much more mixed results.

TO READ: No Shame around Depression

I've always felt that the way to combat the stigma around depression and other mental health conditions is to talk about them. These are illnesses, not character flaws. So I was delighted to read this week that, although she unfortunately suffered depression in her 20s, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling makes no apologies for it.


"The funny thing is, I have never been remotely ashamed of having been depressed. Never. What's to be ashamed of? I went through a really rough time and I am quite proud that I got out of that," the Seattle Post-Intelligencer quotes her as telling a British college magazine. Now that's the attitude we need see and hear more of.


Rowling, 41, said that after separating from her first husband and finding herself a single mom and struggling new writer, she experienced depression and suicidal thoughts. She reported that she sought treatment because of her daughter.

So take heart. As more and more of us are coming out with our mental health conditions, the world does gradually make progress at learning they are simply a no-fault part of life. As so many peers have said to me, no one would tell us to "pull yourself together" if we had heart disease or a kidney stone; why should a brain disorder be treated differently? Thanks for your example, Ms. Rowling.

TO WRITE: The Term "Mental Illness"

Many of us -- whether we live with depression, bipolar disorder or another psychological condition -- have strong feelings about being labeled "mentally ill." Personally, I'm OK with it at this point, twenty-plus years into my bipolar disorder. But there was a time when that term made me very defensive and conjured up images of complete non-functioning. Fortunately, most of us do function to some degree most of the time, yet this descriptor is often used, particularly by those in the medical fields, I find.

As one trained as a biologist, I think I may actually prefer being "mentally ill" because it indicates that my condition is physiological as well as psychological. That doesn't mean I'm excused from the hard work of striving for recovery, but it helps remind me that it's not all my "fault."

One member of my writing group at Stanford prefers that we discuss our "mental health" rather than our "mental illness," and I think this can be very helpful too, because it is so much more positive -- and because it is more inclusive of those suffering, for example, from a depression that is situational, but not clinical.

Play with this. . .
Have you ever had the term "mentally ill" used to describe you? How have you felt about it? If you bristle at it, do you have another suggestion? And how important do you think this language is in perpetuating or countering stigma?

I'm curious about what you come up with -- leave a comment if you like. And consider whether it might be helpful to discuss with your loved ones or doctor the language used about your health.

TO WRITE: Gender and Social Stigma

A student recently suggested "patriarchy" as a writing topic. That's a heavy issue for me to get my mind around, so I tried to think of very specific ways I have been affected by this social scheme. While the differences between the treatment of men and women is enforced in truly frightening ways in some countries today, and while there are evidently still a few matriarchal cultures in existence, here in the US I feel I live in a patriarchal culture that tries to portray itself as egalitarian.

So how has that affected me? I brainstormed. I do think that in one job I was treated differently than a man would have been in terms of mentoring. Also, I took my husband's last name when I married -- though I use my maiden name as my often-included middle name to try to keep it present. I know I've been looked at oddly when alone in some public establishments, where a man, I suspect, wouldn't have been noticed. I'm sure there are lots more, big and small....

Play with this...

If you need to brainstorm at all, take 3-5 minutes to make a quick list of times you feel you were discriminated against because of your gender. Then write continuously for 20 minutes on one of them, describing what happened as a story with beginning, middle and end.

How did it feel to identify and write about this issue? Did you describe a trauma or a mere annoyance? Did writing about it change your mood at all? If the story felt upsetting, try rewriting it with a different (fictional) ending that you prefer. This can often feel empowering.