Colin Kaepernick, Please Take a Knee.

Colin Kaepernick (left) with teammate Eric Reid

So Colin Kaepernick dared not to stand for our National Anthem in protest of the injustices toward African-Americans. And everyone had a fit. There were racial slurs (he is biracial,) that he wasn't American and that he should just leave the damn country if he didn't like it (one-half of his ancestors didn't even want to come here in the first place!) Other things I heard was that he was an entitled  overpaid professional athlete and he should just shut up. And the National Anthem is never, ever to be disrespected. Nor the pledge or our flag. That men and women fought and died for them. No, they didn't. The men and women of our military fought and died to defend our Constitution (get used to that "C" word.) 

The First Amendment protects your right to protest, even if you titillate us with your ignorant use of racial slurs. What gives you the right to deny Kaepernick HIS Constitutional right to protest? There is no law stipulating that you must stand and honor the flag, National Anthem, or Pledge of Allegiance. In fact, the very opposite is true. In West Virginia State Board of Education v Barnette, the Supreme Court ruled that you cannot force, or expel a student for refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, and thereby you can't force someone to stand for the National Anthem. 

Oh, and about that overpaid athlete who should just shut-up stuff? Colin Kaepernick is donating the first million he makes to community centers in neighborhoods where it is needed, as well as any proceeds from jersey sales. He is no longer a starting quarterback. He started his protest in the preseason, for the first two games he was in street clothes and no one noticed. So by not standing, he directly put his career in jeopardy at the last preseason game. The 49ers could've let him go for that. 

In fact, rumors were flying before his protestations that he was going to be cut. To me, this means that his protest comes from the heart. And his record salary isn't all it's cracked up to be. Don't get me wrong, it's still multi-millions and I wouldn't mind that contract, but, it's not a record-setting hyped up amount like it was reported.  Colin Kaepernick's Contract . 

And, I'm happy to say, that his protests have worked. A lot of athletes, from pro to high school are refusing to stand. Even more, after the recent shootings (sad it has to be that way.) So, who knows how many pros are also contributing their money. And how many fans or people that believe in his cause are donating or volunteering? Which leads to how many people are being helped? And wasn't our country founded on by people who protested against injustices? In my eyes, that makes him more American than the people that told him to leave this country if he didn't like it. He loves his country but sees problems and he is trying to affect a change. I fail to understand how people can not see that.
Let's talk about the military reaction, since it is them that Kaepernick allegedly insulted. Many, in fact, supported him, saying that they fought so he could do what he was doing, even if they disagreed with it. 

One retired soldier, Green Beret Nate Boyer expressed his disgust but also said he was willing to see it from Kaepernick's side. Kaepernick took him up on it, and after they met, both said that they learned a lot from each other. Nate Boyer suggested Kaepernick take a knee instead of just sitting to honor the military. And that is what he has done ever since. What does that prove? That two men from the opposite ends of the spectrum can come together and understand - and respect - how the other one feels.

What it comes down to is this: What is more important? The National Anthem, the Flag, the Pledge of Allegiance, or the Constitution? What three would not be here if it wasn't for the Constitution? The other three were created to symbolize our country. I honor all three, but for me, it comes down to the Constitution.  And for everybody who said that it was disrespectful, I want to ask you something. When you are at home watching a sports event, do you respect the National Anthem and stand with your hand over your heart? If you don't, then by your very own definition, you are being disrespectful. If it is so important for the athletes to stand for it, and the people that are attending these events stand for it, then it should be just as important for you to do it at home. And that brings to mind one word...hypocrite.

Mental Health, Our Society, and Stigma.

Mental Illness is just like any other physical chronic illness that requires long - term treatment and medications. 

However, society marginalizes and stigmatizes mental illness. When a mass shooting occurs, the very first thing people and the media want to know about is the mental status of the shooter. The common use of words like "psycho," "schizo," "crazy," "bipolar," "OCD," "insane," "sane," "psychotic," "neurotic," "psychosis," "psychopath," "sociopath," "narcissist" in our vocabulary can be dangerous. They are descriptive words related to a person's mental status, and not in any way that is positive. I know. When I first read that, I thought that it was going over a little too much on the political correctness scale. Then I started reading other mentally ill people's stories and experiences on mentally ill advocacy groups and it changed my mind. 

Armchair diagnosing is irresponsible, and ignorant - even if that someone has training in mental health. Violence is not a sign of a mental illness. People who commit violence like domestic abuse, animal abuse, murder, rape are not considered mentally ill, diagnostically or in the courts. They are not placed on a "mental illness spectrum," but a "criminal behavior spectrum." That isn't to say that they don't have mental issues...they do, but it isn't a mental illness. Only 3%-5% of mentally ill people are violent, and most of them are either undiagnosed or off their medication for whatever reason. One out of five Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness. Considering that, the chances that someone with a mental illness will commit violence really is low. All in all, mentally ill people are more likely to experience violent acts against them.

If mental health professionals who diagnose without a personal evaluation is irresponsible, then for laymen who don't have any training at all are not only irresponsible but reprehensible. Psychiatrists go through extensive training and uses that training when they consult the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders written by the American Psychiatric Association. Unless a person is a mental health professional, they aren't going to know how bad particular symptoms have to be in order to qualify for a mental illness. It is easy to read the DSM-IV and check off  signs and symptoms of how another person behaves - but it's not that black and white. Most symptoms and signs are actually normal feelings and behaviors, but it is amplified for those with mental illness, and it takes someone trained to determine if they are pathological.   

In the election, Hillary Clinton became dehydrated at the event Commemoration Event for September 11th and was seen fainting and being caught by one of her security. Fox News and organizations like Breitbart had a field day. They even used a previous video of her interacting with a couple of supporters where she exaggerates a gesture for being relieved as proof that she was ill. It wasn't just the anchors or reporters at Fox and other Alt-Right spouting this crap. They paraded out doctors that gave diagnosis like Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, Alzheimer's, brain damage from her concussion and more. It was ridiculous. Especially when viewing the video over a gesture that was common. How could a bunch of doctors actually sit there and diagnose her like that? It was unprofessional. That was the consensus of a majority of people. They couldn't say anything without an examination and tests.

It is just as preposterous to say that Donald Trump has a mental illness. Even if he displays all the signs and symptoms, only a qualified psychiatrist who makes an evaluation in person can make a diagnosis. For doctors and therapists, it is unethical to diagnose without a proper examination. It is called "The Goldwater Rule" and it states:

"On occasion psychiatrists are asked for an opinion about an individual who is in the light of public attention or who has disclosed information about himself/herself through public media. In such circumstances, a psychiatrist may share with the public his or her expertise about psychiatric issues in general. However, it is unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion unless he or she has conducted an examination and has been granted proper authorization for such a statement.”

---Principles of Medical Ethics with Annotations Especially Applicable to Psychiatry 

What is the harm in a mental health professional talking about what mental illness a public figure has? There can be a lot of harm. It takes months, sometimes years for a psychiatrist to come up with the proper diagnosis when seeing a patient. There are lots and lots and lots and lots of probing questions into every aspect of a patient's life, and observation. When a treatment plan is drawn up, it may take months or years more to get it right. Public figures are only presenting the image they want to be seen as. Behavior shown could theoretically be completely false to what they are like behind closed doors. In other words, they are displaying behaviors created specifically for the character they play in the public eye. Because of the stigma associated with mental illness, an irresponsible and public "diagnosis" can ruin everything in not only the person's life but that of their family as well. Damages have been rewarded for libel or slander. Armchair diagnosing by professionals also cheapens the field of psychiatry and erodes trust between a patient and their psychiatrist/psychologist/therapist when it is already hard for patients to trust. 

"Diagnosing" Donald Trump sets a bad precedent for elections in the future. Right now there are movements to loosen up the Goldwater Rule. If that happens, it will cause a war between psychiatrists who have never seen the person in question, without regard for that person or family. The media does this now quite well. It doesn't need any more help. People need to be able to process information to make an informed decision and dueling psychiatrists telling lies about the other candidates will not accomplish anything. 

And does this mean that there should never be a mentally ill person in the office of President? A mental illness does not mean that a person can't run a country effectively. There are reasons why this is unethical.  In 1964, Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater (the subject of the Goldwater rule) was the victim of a sensational story in Fact magazine with the headline: "1,189 Psychiatrists Say Goldwater is Unfit to be President."  It was completely untrue. The magazine sent a questionnaire to over 12,000 psychiatrists regarding Senator Goldwater. Only a little over 2,000 responded, most saying that he was sane. However, it was the ones that said he wasn't that got the headline. Goldwater went on to lose the election. He successfully sued Fact Magazine. In 1972, the McGovern campaign named Thomas Eagleton for Vice-President. Shortly after Senator Eagleton accepted, the campaign found out that he had a history with depression that included hospitalizations and ECT therapy. They were humiliated and he was forced to quit. And finally, in 1988 Michael Dukakis was forced to release his medical records after then president Ronald Reagan commented "Look, I'm not going to pick on an invalid." when asked if he thought Dukakis should release his medical records. Both Goldwater and Eagerton went on to have successful careers in the Senate, but the main thing Edgarton is remembered for is his problems with depression and ECT therapy. Goldwater has a rule named after him about the stigma he had to face. Dukakis, who still has a successful career of teaching, was compelled to release his medical records and state emphatically that he had never seen anybody in the mental health field. These men were specifically singled out and either had to sue, resign, or release medical records to prove they weren't mentally ill - a stigma that mentally ill people still contend with today.

Whether or not Trump is mentally ill is not really relevant to how he's running the country. What is relevant is his racism, white supremacism, Islamophobia, anti-immigration, ableism, hate, vileness, pathological lying, need to see chaos, lack of compassion and empathy. That is what will harm...HAS harmed this country. Being hateful, vile, and evil is not a mental illness.  

Statistics show that most people accept that mental illness is indeed a physical disorder of the brain, but when asked if they would be willing  to work with a mentally ill person, or even associate or be friends with a mentally ill person, they said it would make them uncomfortable. They also believe that mentally ill people are violent (addressed above.)

Statistics also show that a person who is undiagnosed and needs help, providing that they have access to it, are least likely to get help because they don't want to be labeled "mentally ill." I read recently that a woman with a mental health advocacy group recently talked to a bunch of middle school students. In the course of the presentation, she learned that almost all of the students didn't have anyone to go to if they needed help. They wouldn't go their parents because they were afraid of being thought of as a failure, and they didn't want to disappoint them. They didn't trust their friends enough to either not make fun of them, take it seriously, or keep quiet. They felt they couldn't go to teachers because their parents would be called. Unfortunately not getting help can lead to dangerous situations and suicide.

So, how does stigma affect mentally ill? I can only speak for myself here. I've been told that I'm too emotional - and had my opinions and feelings ignored. My mood swings make me too unstable to handle simple things. It's all in my head. I've been talked down to like I'm stupid or a "drama queen."  It seems I am incapable of "normal" feelings. I'm either overreacting or under-reacting. I have learned to really hate cliches, too. I can't just pick myself up by my bootstraps. If I'm going through a bad time, lifting myself up out of bed and dropping into a chair is a major accomplishment. "Tomorrow is another day." Tomorrow is another day...to feel like a failure, to isolate myself, to bottle myself up and pretend everything is okay. Tomorrow is another day of waking up and being treated differently because I have an illness that has has so many negative connotations that cause other people to take a pause and consider if they want to know me. I do have feelings and these feelings aren't related to the bipolar. Telling me I'm being "emotional," is patronizing, at least to me. It makes me feel like what I'm saying is wrong or what I think doesn't count and that your opinion is superior. And though I'm open about having bipolar and that I'm on SSDI, whenever I go to tell someone, or I'm asked, I'm afraid, and I feel ashamed, thinking that the person will think less of me, or reject me, and that is the worst feeling. I'm pretty open on Facebook as well, but when I'm going through a really difficult time, I'm on there posting bad puns and owl pictures. 

 Those are all external issues. It has nothing to do with actually having bipolar, anxiety disorder and PTSD. It doesn't change the depression and the mood swings. I still have to get up and force myself to leave the house, and if I don't leave, to get out of the chair and do something. The outside issues that I deal with only piles on top of dealing with the illness. I realize that the world isn't perfect and that I'm not the only one that has bipolar or has to deal with horrible things that happen. I don't expect the world to change for me. But it is a fact that I deal with stigma every day, and that I can only deal with it so much before I accept all the negativity around me, throw up my hands and give up.

Here are some more examples of common the perceptions of people who aren't mentally ill that demonstrates stigma:

* The mentally ill will never recover enough to become contributing members of society.
* The mentally ill are fundamentally unstable and unpredictable.
* The mentally ill are dangerous to be around.
* The mentally ill are possessed.
* The mentally ill are paying a price for a wrong doing. 

 And there's even disparity in health insurance. While there is coverage for other physical illnesses and their treatments, there usually is only a minimal coverage for mental illness. I'm fortunate in that respect. Not only with healthcare, but with a support system. A lot of times, people fall through the cracks and end up in a vicious cycle of outpatient treatment until they are discharged because the insurance is out, going into the hospital and attending that same outpatient when discharged - only to happen again. There are needed medications that aren't covered so they don't get taken. People aren't able to get any kind of stability with treatment much less their lives. How hard is it to realize that outpatient care and therapist sessions used as preventative medicine are more cost effective than repeated hospitalization? 

 The problems with mental illness is that society insists on putting mentally ill people all in a box with the stigmas they define them with. Society has failed mentally ill people, and the healthcare system has failed mentally ill people. The problem is not mental illness. Mental illness should be considered a physical illness, which it is, and treated the same way that any other illness is treated...with full coverage. Society needs to be educated on mental illness. There should be classes specifically on it in school. 
 It could save lives if there is a certain comfort level in asking for help, or a child could recognize problems with their friends. Teachers need to be better trained to help. In the same vein, employers can create a safety net to allow for treatment and a way for employees to speak to HR if they think that a fellow employee is having problems without worrying about causing their friend to lose their job.

Not only that but First Responders and police officers need to be better trained to handle a person in a mental health crisis without  resorting to shooting them. A quarter of all people killed by the police were mentally ill, and it was known at the time of the shooting. A police officer also should be able to judge what to do in a situation. There was a case I read about, where the suspect was standing with a gun at his side wanting an officer to shoot him. He made a couple insinuations, but never raised the gun. The officer was new on the force but had been a Marine and instead of shooting the man, he tried to talk him down, and was having success when another officer higher in rank shot and killed the man. The gun was not loaded. Subsequently, the officer that was trying to talk the suspect down from killing himself was fired for not shooting him. I think a department needs an officer like that on their roll call. 

There needs to be comprehensive mental health reform. It will save lives.  There will be less suffering and pain from mentally ill people and their families and friends. And the only thing people need to do is stop using descriptive words that come from the mental health field and support people who do have a mental illness. Don't treat them differently. People need to make a change in society where there is a low tolerance for the stigma that is so prevalent today.

SUICIDE STATISTICS 

*****SUICIDE IS ALSO NOT TALKED ABOUT BECAUSE OF THE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH IT. IT IS NOT SOMETHING TO BE ASHAMED OF. THE PERSON YOU LOVED WAS EXPERIENCING A TREMENDOUS PAIN SO BAD THAT THEY COULDN'T SEE A WAY OUT. PLEASE, END THE STIGMA AND TALK ABOUT IT. SEEK THERAPY YOURSELF IF A LOVED ONE DIES.*****

PLEASE, GET HELP! GO ONLINE AND GO TO THE SUICIDE PREVENTION WEBSITE: National Suicide Prevention Hotline. You will find plenty of resources and chat if you don't want to talk. EMERGENCIES: 911 OR 1-800-273-8255

~There are around 43,000 suicides a year.

~Twice as many gun deaths are suicide compared to homicide. Gun suicides are more lethal and more likely done on impulse. Death by using a gun is 95%. Death from all other methods of suicide combined is around 40%

~22 veterans a day commit suicide.

~117 suicides a day

~8th leading cause of death.

 ~Men was 3.5 times more likely to commit suicide and it is highest among middle-age white men.

~10.9% - White/Alaskan

~6.3%   - Hispanics

~5.9%   - Asian/Pacific Islanders

~5.5%   - African Americans

~8 out of 10 people will talk about killing themselves before they do. This is the perfect time to call a doctor, suicide hotline, the police, whoever and whatever. Just get them help.

~People who talk about suicide but don't get help are 35 times more likely to successfully kill themselves. 

~Methods:

~Gun - 49.9%

~Poisoning - 15.9%

~Suffocation - 12.7%

~Other - 7.5%

~494,169 people self-harm (intentionally hurting oneself in order to release pain). That is 12 people who self-harm for every 1 suicide. It is important to consider that it is not know how many were actual suicide attempts and how many are intentional acts.

~There are no numbers, but many people who commit suicide have not been seen by a professional or chose to not follow their treatment plans, but estimates are as high as two-thirds.

~Females attempt suicide 3 times more than men, but white 

men are four times more likely to succeed. 

~Young people attempt suicide 25 times to every 1 suicide, and the elderly are 4.1.

~There are 500,000 attempts of suicide. 30%-40% of those who have attempted before will succeed. 

~Spring has the highest number, with 1 for every 16.2.

~For every one suicide AT LEAST 6 people are affected.

~Homicide rates are going down while suicide rates are going up.

~Risk Factors are mental illness or impulsive actions due to stress.

~High-Risk groups are Native Americans, Alaskan natives, Asian American, and LGTB.

~Statistics on Children:

~Third leading cause of death which is around 4,400 deaths. One in one hundred succeed.

~Bullying can come in all forms. Mental, verbal, physical, and sexual, cyber-bullying and sexting. 7% of bullying victims try to or succeed in committing suicide. 2-9 times more are likely to seriously consider it. Those likely to consider it because of bullying are girls from the ages of 10-14 years old. 30% of successful or attempted suicides are either victims of bullies or the bullies themselves. That is around 160,000 kids.

~Many kids will choose to not attend school because of fear. 

If you would like more information on mental illness and suicide stigma, or want to help, please visit the below websites:

*National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
*The Mighty
*International Bipolar Foundation

Here are some articles relating to stigma: (First articles are of the Goldwater Rule and how it affects society.)

*The Goldwater Rule: Why Breaking It Is Unethical and Irresponsible
*The Real Story Behind the Goldwater Rule
*Why Psychiatrists Can't Tell Us About Trump
*Is It Fair to Analyze Donald Trump From Afar?
*How a Telescopic Lens Muddles Psychiatric Insight
*The APA Issues a Warning
*What Purpose Does Stigma Towards Mental Illness Seek to Serve?
*The Problem with Armchair Psychology
*What's Wrong With Donald Trump? 
*Stigma and Discrimination
*The Impact of Mental Illness Stigma on Seeking and Participating in Mental Health Care
*Facts About Mental Illness and Violence
*Why Mental Health Stigma Can Be Lethal
*Dispelling Myths About Mental Illness
*Nine Ways to Fight Mental Health Stigma
*31 Books That Will Help You Better Understand Mental Illness And Disorders
*‘Nut Job,’ ‘Wacko,’ ‘Basket Case’: How Donald Trump’s Put- Downs May Impact Mental Health Stigma
*How Mental Illness is Misrepresented in the Media
*Stigma: What Hollywood and the Media Teach Us About Mental Illness
*No, Mental Illness Does Not Lead To Terrorism
*The Armchair Psychoanalyzing of Trump Stigmatizes and Trivializes Mental Illness, Experts Warn
*Why The "Diagnose Trump" Hashtag Hurts People With Mental Illness 
*Speaking Up to Address the Stigma: Challenging The FaceBook Mental Health “Game”
*How Should We Talk About Mental Illness? 
*8 Reasons Why People Don’t Get Treatment for Mental Illness
*Crazy Talk: The Language of Mental Illness Stigma MUST READ!!!!!! 
*Blog Post #1: The Stigma of Mental Illness
*The Stigma of Mental Illness Post #2
*The Stigma of Mental Illness Blog #3  

Mental Illness touches everyone and words have tremendous power. The stigma created by it has no place in society today. There is a greater understanding of mental illness than ever before. It's time to change.