The Stigma of Mental Illness…
Why is it we hear so much about drinking and drugs when there’s mention of the tragic death of Amy Winehouse and so little about her long-time battle with severe depression? She certainly admitted her suffering with depression in her Grammy award-winning song REHAB. Yet, the public and the media continue to treat drinking and drugs as her DUAL DIAGNOSIS, rather than recognizing her dual problems might have been mental illness and substance abuse.
The end result is that we’re missing a golden opportunity to de-stigmatize mental illness. You see, the public is getting very little discourse about which came first, Amy’s addiction or her major depression. Ignoring the symptoms of Bipolar disorders or the highs and lows of manic depression is not unusual for those struggling with the problem. What’s often not revealed is that those around such people can be either in denial or just not educated enough to recognize the sometimes life-threatening seriousness of mental disorders.
Either way, the silence is sending mixed messages, especially for young people who often look the other way for celebrities. Amy Winehouse, for example, told a British TV interviewer with The Album Chart Show that she was manic depressive and not alcoholic. Then, of course, perhpas, she quickly admitted that that comment made her sound like “an alcoholic in denial”
Because of her death on July 23, 2011, Amy Winehouse will be “forever young.” What is equally tragic, however, is that the ongoing silence ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS covers up a well-researched finding: treatment for mental illness works and works even better… the earlier it is started.
The conspicuous media absence of Amy’s self-admissions about her own mental disorders – serious depression (manic depression or bipolar episodes), anxiety, post traumatic stress, cutting and other self-destructive behavior) – perpetuates an extremely serious health issue in society at large. In fact, it’s readily apparent that our policymakers and elected officials don’t seem to get it, yet: We really are one MENTALLY sick world!
Instead of cutting mental health services, reducing beds in psychiatric facilities, under-staffing mental health personnel in prisons, jails, and detention centers, and turning over once hospitalized mental patients to communities… politicians need to hear more from the paid and unpaid caregivers of the mentally ill. More advocates are needed for the voiceless who are struggling with addictions AND mental illness. At a time when our jails have become pseudo mental institutions, we need to stop celebrating and tolerating celebrities who obviously need treatment. It’s time to stop glorifying celebrities who set poor examples with their behavior. It’s time to speak out about mental illness, share our stories, and take our demands to the State House and other elected officials.
Ironically, three years earlier on the same day as her death this month – July 23 – we saw a far different Amy. Her father’s presence at the unveiling of her waxwork at Madame Tussauds in London is a testament to his devotion. Let’s hope that when Mitch Winehouse starts up The Amy Winehouse Foundation, as he promised at her funeral, that he will also recognize the mental health component in addiction rehabilitation. His voice and determination to honor his exceptionally talented daughter via her foundation, would thus become a welcomed effort to address the STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS. Amy Winehouse said about her depression “…yeah, I know I’m black.” But rehab for her was always about getting help for her alcoholic addiction. Perhaps, her dad, Mitch can bring attention to dual diagnoses involving mental illness and substance abuse.
(unveiling of Amy in wax)
After all, it takes an awful lot of denial to see that it may have been more than drugs and alcohol, when the five-time Grammy winner was booed off the stage by paying customers in Belgrade on June 20, 2011.
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“REHAB” Lyrics (Amy Winehouse)
They tried to make me go to rehab but I said ‘no, no, no’
Yes I’ve been black but when I come back you’ll know know know
I ain’t got the time and if my daddy thinks I’m fine
He’s tried to make me go to rehab but I won’t go go go
I’d rather be at home with ray
I ain’t got seventy days
Cause there’s nothing
There’s nothing you can teach me
That I can’t learn from Mr Hathaway
I didn’t get a lot in class
But I know it don’t come in a shot glass
They tried to make me go to rehab but I said ‘no, no, no’
Yes I’ve been black but when I come back you’ll know know know
I ain’t got the time and if my daddy thinks I’m fine
He’s tried to make me go to rehab but I won’t go go go
The man said ‘why do you think you here’
I said ‘I got no idea
I’m gonna, I’m gonna lose my baby
so I always keep a bottle near’
He said ‘I just think you’re depressed,
this me, yeah baby, and the rest’
They tried to make me go to rehab but I said ‘no, no, no’
Yes I’ve been black but when I come back you’ll know know know
I don’t ever wanna drink again
I just ooh I just need a friend
I’m not gonna spend ten weeks
have everyone think I’m on the mend
It’s not just my pride
It’s just ’til these tears have dried
They tried to make me go to rehab but I said ‘no, no, no’
Yes I’ve been black but when I come back you’ll know know know
I ain’t got the time and if my daddy thinks I’m fine
He’s tried to make me go to rehab but I won’t go go go
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