In my ongoing pursuit to slay the stigma attached to mental health, I graciously accepted an invitation to participate in a mental health summit.St. John A.M.E. Church of Eufaula, Alabama, hosted this summit on Saturday, May 12, 2018. The pastor of St. John, Pastor Carlton Worthen, makes it a point to address issues that many churches shy away from or ignore. These issues include things like teen pregnancy, HIV, and domestic violence. Although nationally we recognize a number of appreciation and awareness observances during the month of May, Pastor Worthen chose to dedicate this summit to mental health awareness. He also has a couple of sermons on the topic as part of the church’s effort to #stopthestigma. To begin the program, the organizer asked everyone to take a three-question quiz at curestigma.org. I invite you to take the quiz as well.

As a panelist at the mental health summit, it was a great opportunity to share my story, raise awareness, and answer questions concerning bipolar disorder, my experience, and my recovery. Also on the panel, were four other individuals: a psychologist, a director at SpectraCare Health Systems, a caregiver of someone with mental illness, and a counselor for Alabama Virtual Academy. One key theme was early intervention. How do we identify those school-age kids who may be experiencing more than just a behavioral issue? Better yet, how can we best help and make accommodations for them in the classroom? One important part of the solution is to create partnerships between mental health providers and their local schools.

Another key theme focused on recognizing mental illness as a legitimate illness. The psychologist on the panel explained to the audience that mental illnesses are brain disorders, or diseases, and should be treated as such. Unfortunately, not many people are knowledgeable about this. As was stated during the panel discussion, people would rather attend a baseball game than a forum on mental health.

While we didn’t see the numbers we were hoping for on Saturday, it was encouraging to hear St. John A.M.E. Church state that this was only their first annual mental health summit. They intend to make mental health a recurring discussion and are searching for ways to get the Church involved. What are some ways that we can start the conversation on mental health in our own communities? Share your thoughts below, and, if you took the quiz I mentioned above, let me know if you’re stigma free!

Signed,
Bipolar I