|  |

|

NAMI StigmaBuster Alert: November 7, 2006

Contact: smarch@nami.org

Great Work!

A front-page story in the The Chicago Tribune brought national attention to StigmaBuster protests of Halloween stigma in Illinois, Ohio, and Tennessee. Coverage then expanded to CBS Radio, MSNBC.com and other media. Congratulations to everyone who contributed to outstanding public education.

Free Teleconference:  Art vs. Stigma 

On Tuesday November 14, 2006 from 12:00 to 1:30 PM (ET), the ADS Center will present a free teleconference titled “Art Works! Using the Arts to Counter Stigma and Discrimination” To participate, please complete an online registration form at  www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov.

Art, including the visual and performing arts, can be a powerful StigmaBuster. Using music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, theater, and more, people with mental illnesses demonstrate creativity, insightfulness, and intelligence. The confidence-building and peer support found in arts programs can also support recovery.

The Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma (ADS Center) is a project of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  For additional information, contact the ADS Center at stopstigma@samhsa.hhs.gov or 1-800-540-0320. Registration closes November 13 at 5:00 PM (ET).

CBS-TV Brain Drama Premieres

On Tuesday, November 14 at 10:00 P.M. (ET), CBS-TV will premiere “3 Lbs.,” a medical drama about two neurosurgeons, one brilliant but arrogant, who have different approaches on how to treat patients. One considers the brain a wire box, with patients only being “the outside.” The other considers the psychological health of patients a priority. “3 lbs” represents the average weight of the human brain. Mental illness has not been mentioned as a theme, but the show should be monitored.

Can’t See the Forest Because of the Stigma?

Numerous StigmaBusters have complained about a joke in the October 2006 issue of Reader’s Digest under “Laughter the Best Medicine.” Reprinted from elsewhere, it asked: “How do crazy people go through the forest? They take the psychopath” Not surprisingly, no jokes were included about Parkinson’s Disease or cancer. Send  comments to letters@rd.com.

HOTSOUP.COM

Check out HOTSOUP.COM to contribute to a new national dialogue on a broad range of issues. NAMI is the lead partner in hosting discussions on “Mental Illness and Society.” One of the first questions posed is one that originated with StigmaBusters: “Where does humor end and stigma begin?”

---

Happy Thanksgiving! NAMI especially gives thanks for your support.

Stella March, National Coordinator
NAMI StigmaBusters

To receive StigmaBuster Alerts directly in your inbox, visit www.nami.org/subscribe, sign in, and check the box next to StigmaBusters.

|  |

|

---

Join NAMI today!

When you become a member of NAMI, you become part of America's largest grassroots organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness. And now you can join online.