Need I say more? We should not be afraid of individuals with a mental illness. But we still are, in the year 2013. I can barely fathom it.

As Simi Lichtman, (Associate Editor, New Voices Magazine) so eloquently states:

Mental Health Patients: Ending Stigma Must Come From Us

"I don't think everyone needs to publicize their disorders; I believe that many people need their privacy for reasons other than fear of stigmatization. But to hide it completely is to give in to the stigma and encourage its continuation. We need to be honest about our conditions with ourselves and others if we want others to stop judging us. Once we as patients are able to speak about our illnesses candidly, we can place the pressure on the rest of the world to accept us openly; until then, we cannot expect more of others than we are willing to offer ourselves."

We really have no choice, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. To read the full article in the Huffington Post, CLICK HERE. <-------------

Click Here ---> Sandy Gale For Active Minds, 2003-2013
Please donate ANY AMOUNT over a secure connection, and you are welcome to give an anonymous gift. You may also make a donation in honor, in memorium, et al. Thank you!
Sandy
“Active Minds empowers students to speak openly about mental health to educate others and encourage help-seeking. We are changing the culture on campuses and in our communities by raising awareness about mental health while providing leadership opportunities and advocacy training to the next generation.
Since 2003, Active Minds programming and services have reached an estimated 6.54 million people.” For more information, please visit Active Minds


And meet “The Heard” -- Key Public Speakers for Active Minds

Please view this brief video and share it with others -- fellow students, educators, friends and family. No individual, no young person with all the potential in the world, should feel shame to reach out for help. This student-run organization makes it easier for peers to help each other cope with stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues exacerbated by the challenges of university life.

Countless lives and promising futures have been saved by Active Minds.

And thank you for visiting my fundraising page:

Sandy Gale For Active Minds <---- Click Here to make a donation. No amount is too small on the 10th Anniversary of Active Minds. And there are now over 400 chapters at colleges and universities across the US and Canada. Active Minds should be on every college campus.

Far From The Tree
A brilliant work by Andrew Solomon.
about “Parents, Children, And The Search For Identity”

“Solomon’s startling proposition is that diversity is what unites us all. He writes about families coping with deafness, dwarfism, Down syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, multiple severe disabilities, who are prodigies, who are conceived in rape, who become criminals, who are transgender. While each of these characteristics is potentially isolating, the experience of difference within families is universal, as are the triumphs of love Solomon documents in every chapter.”

“The imperfect is our paradise.
Note that, in this bitterness, delight,
Since the imperfect is so hot in us,
Lies in flawed words and stubborn sounds.”
- Wallace Stevens -

This book will shock you, move you, bring you to tears, make you enraged, make you think.
Read More...