tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030786834802378022.post5151539794795153480..comments2023-08-05T03:26:37.674-07:00Comments on The Emperor Has No Toque: "The Stigma of Crazy or No I Do Not Bark at Squirrels"Steven M. Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753759177558590432noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030786834802378022.post-21688617862015671982010-05-05T13:25:06.250-07:002010-05-05T13:25:06.250-07:00Thanks Leslie, but it needs to come from others as...Thanks Leslie, but it needs to come from others as well. Sadly we are popular or the disease du jour. Just see how many cancer events there are, and I am not knocking them as I have cancer as well just to point out that they are better organized. It is difficult for my community to organize, mainly because of the Stigma, and alot are too ill to get involved.Steven M. Schwartzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14753759177558590432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030786834802378022.post-50002434789364574492010-05-05T13:15:33.658-07:002010-05-05T13:15:33.658-07:00I agree with Napkin Dad above that we should call ...I agree with Napkin Dad above that we should call it a "brain" illness and not a "mental" illness. There's a false idea in Western medicine and society that the mind and body are separate; they are not, and mental illness has physical manifestations, and physical illness affects the mind. Everyone has been mentally ill in some way, or is close to someone who is or has beenLeslienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030786834802378022.post-17640362199413358832010-05-05T11:03:09.287-07:002010-05-05T11:03:09.287-07:00Well first of all barking at squirrels is perfectl...Well first of all barking at squirrels is perfectly acceptable; they can be a real menace. Seriously, your caste is pretty accurate to my mind. Anyway, good for you for pointing it out and not hiding away from everyone. The more people see the face behind the label, the better. Keep up the good fight, and feel free to let loose on the squirrels.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030786834802378022.post-91594014354616830482010-05-05T10:42:10.761-07:002010-05-05T10:42:10.761-07:00Thank you everyone for your one reading my blog an...Thank you everyone for your one reading my blog and two gleeming something from it. I have been "out" as crazy for years now, and I still feel the sting of stigma. But I am driven to lessen it for others and to educate people on it as well.Steven M. Schwartzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14753759177558590432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030786834802378022.post-70894425736096545552010-05-05T10:39:35.667-07:002010-05-05T10:39:35.667-07:00We all have someone in our lives who live with som...We all have someone in our lives who live with some form of mental illness, knowingly or unknowingly. Most afflicted are never diagnosed. Being diagnosed and starting to deal with it would start to improve many lives and family situations. Great read.Norm Raittnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030786834802378022.post-66879502981471879802010-05-05T10:36:09.962-07:002010-05-05T10:36:09.962-07:00I'm glad you're finding a way to release y...I'm glad you're finding a way to release your *crazy*. Writing about what's going on and opening yourself up to public eyes will form more desirable alliances in the future than the non-functional "I'm scared of you, so I'm avoiding you" types.<br /><br />I know from your tweets yesterday that something was eating away at you; it takes strength to have the comfort toAriane Colenbranderhttp://www.arianecdesign.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030786834802378022.post-50672542997136618142010-05-05T05:56:21.199-07:002010-05-05T05:56:21.199-07:00Great post about what I prefer to call 'Brain ...Great post about what I prefer to call 'Brain Disease' or 'Brain Illness'. People associate 'mental' with being...well...mental. It has baggage of moral choices to do the wrong thing. Your mind told you to do this, thus YOU decided to do it, THUS you are just doing something bad, end of subject. Just snap out of it. That is how the thinking can unconsciously go with The Napkin Dadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18012401048345631305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030786834802378022.post-79981091347678918752010-05-05T05:17:07.492-07:002010-05-05T05:17:07.492-07:00Thanks for sharing this Steven. I engaged in a bit...Thanks for sharing this Steven. I engaged in a bit of an online exchange on the need for a serious re branding effort for mental illness. Changing minds (no pun) is a tall order in the best of circumstances let alone when there is so much baggage that goes along with it. Your points about media portrayal are spot on. The criminal or court room dram where a prosecutor or detective reads off a listJohn Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01181689643997322665noreply@blogger.com