Mental Illness as a Civil Rights Issue

Just as people should not be discriminated against based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and a host of other issues, people should not be discriminated against based on mental health. Yet, they are, and too often.

We all know of people living with mental illness. My family, friends and colleagues are not immune to depression, substance abuse addiction, bipolar disorder and other mental health issues. The prevalence of mental illness in our society is staggering. The National Institute of Mental Illness estimates that in the past year 26 percent of the population have suffered from a mental illness in one form or another, and about 45 percent have suffered from mental illness at some point in their life. Anyone who reads this article knows someone who has mental health needs. Imagine that such a person, you or someone you know, is treated unfairly because of a mental health issue.

Recently, I met briefly with a group therapy session with Community Counseling of Bristol County. I was invited to meet with the agency because I am the local state representative, who also sits on the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse. As the members of this group spoke with me, they told me about the challenges that they are faced with. Some have had problems with housing, others the police, others finding a job.

The biggest challenge this group all agreed upon was the stigma associated with mental illness. Each person articulately noted that people don't understand what it is like for them to have a mental illness such as depression, PTSD, or schizotypal , to name a few. They talked about the inappropriate ways that their family, friends and the broader society have treated them. In short, this group felt that they were discriminated against based on the presence of a mental illness or mental health condition.

More:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-heroux/mental-illness-civil-rights_b_2835768.html