Today marks the launch of a new national campaign called Bring Change 2 Mind, which aims to take down the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. According to ABC News, Glenn Close has been speaking out about the cause, since it hits close to home.
Glenn’s sister, Jessie Close, has bipolar disorder – and Jessie’s son Calen Pick, 28, has schizo-affective disorder.
“Mental illness is just part of the human condition,” she told Good Morning America this morning. She says that her family hopes that the Bring Change 2 Mind campaign will help people realize that mental illness is something we should ”talk about as openly as cancer or diabetes.”
Glenn and Jessie joined up with director Ron Howard to shoot a Public Service Announcement to spread the word about the new campaign. Check it out:
“It was intimidating, but I was proud to do it,” Jessie said. “There has been too much silence about this.”
“We wanted to be totally authentic. We wanted people in it who are supporting those who have mental illness, or who have mental illness,” Glenn said. “In that ad, everybody you’ll see is actually a family with mental illness, whether it’s depression or PTSD or schizophrenia.”
Yes! It’s about time we start talking about this.
Agreed. The stigma surrounding mental illness is very unhealthy and it leads to people not being diagnosed. Let’s open the conversation up.
Go to MSNBC and watch the close interview – the host interviews jessie and glen and likens mental illness to the character in fatal attraction. Jealousy and obsession with a man are not a mental illness. Plus, this isnt a good exaple of mental illness.
On ABC the host said that “Jessie is bipolar” not has bipolar disorder. This is mental illness 101 people. you don’t define people by their illness – whether it be depression or cancer.
Oprah, two weeks ago called mentally ill people Crazy. I dont even need to explain this one.
All the people with voices pat themselves on the back for bringing awareness to the issue but time and time again THEY SCREW IT UP. Find someone who has been through it and can articulate the issue properly. Stop allowing ignorant news journalists to cover the issue. They are perpentuating the stigmas and spreading the damage.
I do want to say to Jessie Close – I can’t imagine what its been like for you, my dad was in a similar situation, but still I can’t imagine having a famous sister and living with this illness. You should be very proud of what you are doing, but please don’t allow the media to define mental illness according to your situation. It is different for all of us – never forget that.