Since her initial diagnosis during the 1960’s, Brenda sought treatment for her bipolar disorder but kept it a secret for over 50 years. “Mental health stigma is something that causes fear, mistrust, or disgust, and it keeps people from accepting something or someone. Fortunately, those who don’t or won’t understand mental illness are fewer and fewer every day.” Click the title to access her full interview with Deconstructing Stigma.
Kevin Hines is using his personal story to fight distorted perceptions around suicide and spread awareness of prevention. Check out his film, Suicide: The Ripple Effect at suicidetherippleeffect.com or share your story about how suicide has affected your life on their Facebook page, Facebook.com/suicidetherippleeffect. If you're contemplating suicide, please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
“According to the 36-year-old director, who was diagnosed with the condition in his 20s, films about manic-depression, while well-meaning, too often look at the disorder from the point of view of friends and family members, rather than through the eyes of those actually living with the illness. ‘It frustrates me,” says Dalio, “when the filmmaker isn’t aware of how displaying them in this way — from the outside — might affect the way in which the public sees them. That is to say, very easily, in a negative light.’”
"Comic books often portray villains as not only evil and violent, but as having a mental illness… ‘That’s why I thought it was important to create a character living with mental illness who is a hero, not a villain,’ Pozios said. He noted that comic books also have a long tradition of social justice advocacy and can play a pivotal role in changing how people with mental illness are represented in entertainment media."
