Mental Illness Awareness Week / Bipolar Disorder Awareness Day

Hello G.J.,

I know that the purpose of your post was to enlighten us about the fact that there is a day set aside to recognize bipolar disorder and that we should do something to ensure that it gets recognized.

I am sorry, but I couldn't get past the notion of NAMI and Abbott Laboratories being in collusion together to sponsor the day.  As I have long suspected, it would appear that NAMI has once again sold itself out to the larger group that would make them feel better about what caused their relative's illnesses.  In other words, the drug companies back up the notion that bipolar disorder is a brain disease and can only be treated with medications.  That takes the "heat" off the parents so that they are not seen as the cause of their relative's illnesses.  It very nicely allows Abbott to then encourage NAMI and others to buy their wonder drugs, which will treat these brain diseases.  NAMI and Abbott - not such strange bedfellows after all.

I know that parents were treated with a great deal of disrespect and suspicion with regard to what the cause of bipolar and schizophrenia was.  There has always been the fight about nature versus nurture - were their kids born with it or did they develop it based on what happened to them as they grew up?  Still, it seems that NAMI was all too eager to embrace the medical mindset of causality for bipolar and other mental disorders and now, they are in cahoots with a major drug company.  Isn't that just peachy?

And please don't misunderstand me.  I know that NAMI has done some invaluable things to advance the cause of destigmatizing mental illness.  Unfortunately, their entire focus seems to be on mental disorders as brain diseases, and I am not at all sure that I agree with that viewpoint.  To a certain extent, I suppose I do, but not to the exclusion of other possibilities as the causes of mental disorders.  When NAMI jumped on the bandwagon during the decade of the brain, they virtually ensured that research into other areas of causality for mental illness were shut down.  People no longer dared to entertain the notion that there might be something more at play here, than just brain dynamics.

It does not come as that big of a surprise to me that NAMI is working together with a major drug manufacturer.  Anything to promote their own research, especially if that research supports their widely know belief about the cause of mental illness.

I don't mean to sound so negative about NAMI, but I have always thought that their focus was very esoteric.  I am a firm believer in examining all possible causes of mental disorders, so that we can then find more appropriate treatment modalities.  If it were all just about brain diseases, then there would be no need for psychotherapy to help a person gain "insight" into their condition.

I feel your bitterness, G.J.  The anti-seizure medicines have caused me a great deal of pain and agony, and I can understand that you would be angry about this "hook-up".  It just goes to show you that you can really never be too paranoid.  There is almost always an element of truth behind a paranoid idea . . . . .

Kay

G.J.,

I share your feelings on the subject, but it all comes down to money, donations and support.

NAMI can't continue to operate without outside sources of income that these companies are willing to doll out when trying to push their medication onto the mental health community.

Another example of this is that in my area, the majorities of the residents are low income and can't afford the soaring costs of medications. The local dr. spends Monday - Friday from 7am till noon just listening to the BS the drug reps have to say in order to get the free samples of medications for his patients.

Does this mean he agrees and is in bed with the drug companies? Nope, as a matter of fact he has come to despise them but continues to do what he feels is best for his patients in the way of free medications. 

Mental awareness week is when the people that think their crazy aren’t and the ones that don’t really are. All kidding aside, it’s more to get rid of the stigma that used to be attached to people with a mental illness of being locked away for good doing the thorizine shuffle.

I also was startled to read that NAMI and Abbot "created" Bipolar Awareness Day. A press release on "Medical News Today" states at the bottom of the release that BDAD was "created by NAMI and is sponsored by Abbott Laboratories through an unrestricted educational grant." Why doesn't NAMI word it that way on their Web site?

Also, where is the publicity? How about something on YouTube, MySpace, or FaceBook if they really want to raise awareness...

GJ

Thank you for your post and good to know that there is some kind of recognition from the NAMI but i am still not convinced that this is all legit, perhaps again my paranoria, but when pharm. companies come in, well, I know we need the meds and that they are our salvation sometimes but it just don't seem like they should be the SPONSOR of such an awareness week...kinda makes you wonder about their motive...which we all pretty much can guess at. At least that is my feeling, and probably just my ocd or paranoria speaking, but something seems awful fishy with this combination to me....sorry but I guess i have trust issues....I mean would this pharm. company support this awareness week if they weren't the manufacturer of the medication that treats the illness???now THAT would tell me they are interested in helping and advocacy....sorry but don't trust this at all...

ctrygirl