Bipolar Products: Bold or Offensive?
The non-profit organization Bring Change 2 Mind, whose PSA aired tonight during American Idol, takes on the noble mission of combating stigma regarding mental illness through education. Their website (bringchange2mind.org) is very much worth checking out. I encourage you to visit, sign their pledge, and read some of the information they have available.
One thing that caught my eye on their site was their shop, which, in addition to custom necklaces, sells shirts bearing the labels “bipolar,” “depression,” “schizophrenia,” and “post-traumatic stress disorder,” in addition to “friend,” “family,” and “battle buddy.” My first question wasn’t “Would I wear this?” but “I wonder if there are any better-looking shirts like this.” After all, if you’re going to make a proud, bold statement about your disorder, why not do with something more eye-catching than a white tee with small blue print?
I think it’s unhealthy to have such a strong sense of identification to one’s mental illness.
