The word "bipolar" comes to life
A group of mental patients (how's that for an un-P.C. term?) in Hungary are riding a rollercoaster (pictured) for 10 days straight to attract attention to the issue of bipolar disorder. I wish I could get off of work and join them—I love rollercoasters, especially when they're not in my brain.
The amusing piece linked below is the first entry in Tuesday's International, a new feature here. Each Tuesday we're going to focus our efforts on global mental health stories, and possibly feature some embarrassing photos from the author's well-traveled past.
Granted, today isn't Tuesday. But I'm just getting you ready for the warm, splashy feelings of interconnectedness you're going to have tomorrow.
Comments
That's a term you'd really want to put on your resume, isn't it? But maybe having the celebrity status that these people will get from doing the rollercoaster thing will trump the stigma that would ordinarily go with that label.
At one time (in the late 1970's) I was a member of a self-group in Boston called the "Mental Patients Liberation Front." I think part of the purpose of having a name like that was to destigmatize the term "mental patient." Looking at things as they are, I don't think that particular goal was achieved. Maybe setting a rollercoaster record will be more effective in that regards.
Posted by: Kent | July 24, 2006 06:36 PM