Not My Last Advocate Post

This is far from my last advocate post. I haven’t even gotten started. In My Last Advocate Post, Susan Zarit of Bravely Bipolar makes the case that we who live with mental illness must organize and speak up. I strongly agree with her concluding points and have added details of my own based on my experience.

• We lack psychiatrists
• We lack psychiatric beds
• We lack good quality psychiatric care, both inpatient and outpatient
• Our mental health system is broken
• Mental health care workers, including psychiatrists, are overwhelmed
• Most psychiatrists refuse to accept MediCare, leaving those of us on disability without psychiatric care
• Rural areas lack psychiatrists, psychotherapists, mental health support groups, and quality medical care in general

We with mental illness must organize and speak up! We are not alone.