Daniel Laitman, a budding comedian, performed at Broadway Comedy Club last night in Manhattan. Laitman, who has schizophrenia, gave a bold and extremely funny performance that made the crowd roar with laughter. He even opened up with a strong proclamation of his own diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.
I like to support people who are open about their own mental illnesses, and Laitman is one of these people. He is an example of what is possible despite having a mental illness. Laitman shows what is possible if you seek the proper treatment, and do everything you can to try and overcome it.
I hope that Laitman has continued success in both his comedy performances and in life. To learn more about Laitman, read the article I previously wrote about Laitman
Brandon Marshall spoke about advocating for mental illness treatment today on NFL Live, in a segment based around the troubles of Titus Young.
"I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder a few years ago, you know, and I got the right help, the right treatment, and now I'm advocating for it," Marshall said on NFL Live.
Marshall also spoke about the importance of fighting the stigma surrounding mental illness so that people can receive the treatment they need.
"Mental health in itself is just so stigmatized," said Marshall, adding, "It's a taboo topic in our homes, in our communities, and we need more people to talk about it, and not make Titus Young or
people like myself, or others who can’t fight for themselves, a national
punchline.”
Marshall also spoke about Young, who has been arrested three times in the past week, on NFL Live.
Speaking about Young, Marshall said, "You know what, he needs to put the right people around him and he needs to get the right treatment plan," adding, "A guy like Titus. You know, I hear people say his career is over. Well first of all, it's really not about his career right now. It's about his life and second of all, if he gets that in order, we'll be looking at a success story, and this is a guy who will be in a locker room, and guys will be coming to him for advice."
It is great to see Marshall doing well and advocating for the treatment of mental illness and fight the stigma surrounding it. What makes Marshall's situation unique, is that he is a star athlete in his prime who has become a spokesman for those of us with mental illness.
I hope that Marshall continues to do well and that Young can get whatever help he needs to get his life and career in order.
"Demi" is the follow up album to the very successful "Unbroken," which featured the single "Skyscraper."
It was really nice to see Lovato make that comment while on "Ellen" because lots of people with bipolar disorder feel that exact way about things. It was also nice because Lovato said it in such a comfortable casual manner. It is nice to see bipolar disorder presented in a positive way, and since coming out about her own experiences, Lovato has done that.
The interviews I did this spring on college students living with varying mental health issues (The Fighting Stigma series) got me noticed by Mike Cronin, the host of Purchase Late Night, a student run internet television show filmed at Purchase College.
I had written a couple of posts this spring semester that featured Daniel Laitman, a budding comedian, and Róisín McCarty, an up and coming writer who is the editor in chief of the Purchase Independent.
Cronin saw these posts that I shared on Facebook and asked me to come on Purchase Late Night to talk about this blog. I was ecstatic and first went on the show a few weeks ago. Unfortunately the video did not record the first time I was on the show, but there is audio that can be listened too.
I wanted to go on Purchase Late Night again so that I could have a video interview that I could share. I also wanted to say things a little differently the second time around.
I received a text from Cronin, the morning of the show, telling me there was an opening on the show that night, and I was there. I kept the interview more serious than the first one and spoke more about mental health awareness.
I appreciate Mike Cronin and the Purchase Late Night staff for supporting this blog and what I am trying to do for the mental health community.
Check out my most recent interview on Purchase Late Night below. Below that is the original interview with audio only. They are different from each other and both are good in their own ways.
Tyrann Mathieu's dream of playing in the NFL came one step closer to becoming a reality when he was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals with the 69th pick of the 2013 NFL draft. Mathieu was once a star defensive back at LSU, who was kicked off the team due to substance abuse.
Mathieu's contract has no guaranteed money, and he will only make money if he is able to stay sober and not be cut by the team. Mathieu has agreed to being drug tested regularly by the Cardinals as well as seeing psychologists and therapists.
It is great to see Mathieu making a comeback from addiction, and I hope he can continue his comeback story in the NFL.
One of the hardest things to explain to people about bipolar disorder is the inflated ego. People who do not suffer from bipolar disorder are willing to make sacrifices for other people. They are willing to admit when they are wrong or to agree with someone's point of view for the sake of not getting in an argument.
People with bipolar disorder often make decisions to benefit only themselves no matter how it affects those around them. I know that I have been guilty of this many times. I have ended friendships and relationships because instead of admitting I was wrong, I held strong with my point of view.
What also makes it difficult for people to understand is that when a bipolar person thinks they are right about something, even if it is wrong, they will believe it to be true. This usually occurs during manic episodes, and we often do not see that our actions or beliefs are miscalculated until the episode has subsided.
If you know a bipolar person, it is important to understand their moods and look for signs that something is wrong. Do not let the bipolar person push you away by arguing with them. Talk to them about any issues once the episode is over and their ego is more back to normal. If you argue with the inflated ego of a manic individual, there is no winning and both of you will be hurt in the end.
Logan wrote about how the medical community treats bipolar disorder as a medical problem, but fails to help patients deals with the struggle of identity that comes with the disorder. To me getting diagnosed with bipolar disorder after a major episode is kind of like when a tornado destroys a town, and although there is immediate aid to help people get through, the recovery is long and there will be things that people will never get back.
I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder in Feb. 2009 after an 11 day hospital stay. I was put on the medicine Geodon, which I am no longer on, and sent on my way. The doctors made it clear to me that with treatment, I would go back to feeling the way I had before bipolar disorder.
Looking back at it now, I view that as the biggest lie that psychiatry tells, both people being treated, and the general public, about bipolar disorder. There is treatment in the form of medications and therapies, as well as lifestyle changes, but I never returned to being the person I was before I was hit by the bipolar disorder tornado. I don't even know who that person is anymore.
Medications are only partially effective at best, symptoms remain, and I still have episodes of a lesser intensity. It is the identity issue which, Logan wrote about in her article that was perhaps the hardest part for me to deal with. I felt like I lost parts of myself when I developed bipolar disorder. I also feel that traumatic experiences I went through effected my sense of self.
It can be really self-defeating and demoralizing to look back at the darkest times and remember the parts of myself that disappeared. I started to handle this better when I started living in the moment. I also developed a new mindset and realized that I could never go back to the person I was before bipolar disorder, but I can keep changing the post diagnosis version of myself for the better. I can use my darkest memories and my minor daily struggles as a cathartic area of personal growth.
Logan shares the advice her father gave her when she wrote, "One day, about eight years ago, it struck me that bipolar disorder was
the hand I was dealt. I remembered what my father said to me when I
moved from Boston: 'Don’t look at what your disorder has taken away from
you, try to find what it has given you.'"
This is a realization that I came to too in the past 14 months. I don't worry that my disorder put me in psych wards, rehab, and medical leaves from college. I focus on what I am doing now including, eating well, running, doing well in college, writing this blog and doing other service to help others with mental illness and addiction, as well as an internship I am going to be starting soon. Every day I try and spread happiness in the world and make a positive impact on somebody's life.
I lost the person I once was, but I am building a new person and I am able to transcend bipolar disorder to be happy, and to have a positive impact on the world around me. If you're at that place where you are still unsure about your sense of self, remember you can always start over right now.
