Bipolar? Depression? You are not alone. It seems to run in the family. But there is hope.
What’s it really like coping with these mental disorders? You can find answers by attending a public meeting on Saturday, April 5th at the Manhattan Public Library at Poyntz and Juliette. By sharing individual stories, the meeting will bring mood disorders out of the shadows, fight the stigma of mental illness and show that, even with these illnesses, most people can live a fulfilling life.Yes, there truly is hope.
The program, entitled “Facing Us:” A presentation and dialog about truth, strength and hope , begins at 2 pm in the library’s second floor meeting room.
"We want to highlight the ‘face’ of depression and bipolar disorder by presenting award-winning video clips that will showcase a variety of experiences faced by folks with these disorders and how they cope with their condition,” said John Jagger, a member of the Flint Hills affiliate of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). “We hope this face-to-face ‘story hour’ will help the public understand that the labels of ‘bipolar’ and ‘depression’ have real people behind them.”
Nearly 21 million Americans live with depression or bipolar disorder (manic depression)and face the stigma of mental illness in their communities. Studies show the most effective way to eliminate that stigma is through getting to know the professionals, leaders, artists, parents, activists, teachers and others who live every day with these illnesses. These have included such luminaries as Lincoln, Beethoven, van Gogh and Hemingway.
Last fall, DBSA launched “Facing Us,” a national campaign to show the real “face” of depression and bipolar disorder by humanizing people with the illnesses, reducing stigma and increasing awareness that both illnesses are real and treatable.
The Flint Hills DBSA group meets regularly at 6:30 pm on the first and third Thursdays of each month in the basement of the First Christian Church at Fifth and Humboldt and welcomes individuals, family and friends of those with depression and bipolar disorder. Each meeting is governed by confidentiality and respect for individual differences.
For more information, contact John Jagger: 785-236-2366 / johnfjagger@hotmail.com / dbsa.manhattan.org
Lisa Grossman
Mtns, Rivers & Plains
Strecker-Nelson Gallery
