Potential Media Story Lines For Reason for Referral Famous Historical Figures and Mental Illness: Some of the most famous historical figures of all time showed signs of professional confirmed mental illness. These include Abraham Lincoln, Vincent Van Gogh, Beethoven, Tennessee Williams, Ernest Hemmingway, Robert Schumann, Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, Vivien Leigh, and the list goes on and on. Van Gogh, Vivien Leigh, and Hemingway, for example, were all three in and out of asylums; two, like many in their day, were given shock treatments, all were substance abusers; and two of them committed suicide. All three were prolific figures who made brilliant and lasting contributions in their field. Modern Celebrities battling Mental Illness: Many modern celebrities have come forward with their own personal accounts of mental illness. Examples: Marc Summers (OCD), Ben Stiller (Bipolar Disorder), Ashley Judd (Depression), Marie Osborne and Brooke Shields (Postpartum Depression), Patty Duke (Bipolar Disorder) and Howie Mandel (OCD) Psychological labeling system and Stigma: “Crazy” is just a word. “Depressed” is just a word. “Bipolar” is just a word. But what effect do these “words” have on the people who are associated with them? Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the US and Canada right now, yet a recent poll found that 59% of people surveyed felt comfortable with someone who was in a wheelchair, but only 19% had the same level of comfort with someone who had a mental illness. Would you shun someone at a dinner party for revealing that they had diabetes? Imagine telling a cancer patient that their disease was brought on by emotional weakness and immoral choices. Many people with mental issues are afraid to get diagnosed— those who do often struggle with guilt and shame because of the negative stigma associated with their diagnosis. This play addresses how we categorize and label one another socially, medically, and personally. Author’s personal battle with Mood Disorder: As a freshman in college at Baylor University, Lacy was having some problems sleeping and focusing and was having hormonal mood swings. She was diagnosed with a mood disorder, alongside the ADHD. She experienced first hand the negative stigma that is associated with mental health diagnosis. She registered with the office of disabilities, a well-intentioned guidance councilor advised her to withdraw from Baylor and attend a community college in her hometown of Colleyville, TX, so as not to exacerbate her “problem”. She ignored this advice. And with the encouragement of a few key professors and professionals, she went on to become the first theater major to graduate from the honors college in the history of the school.

Potential Media Story Lines

For Reason for Referral

Famous Historical Figures and Mental Illness: Some of the most famous historical figures of all time showed signs of professional confirmed mental illness. These include Abraham Lincoln, Vincent Van Gogh, Beethoven, Tennessee Williams, Ernest Hemmingway, Robert Schumann, Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, Vivien Leigh, and the list goes on and on. Van Gogh, Vivien Leigh, and Hemingway, for example, were all three in and out of asylums; two, like many in their day, were given shock treatments, all were substance abusers; and two of them committed suicide. All three were prolific figures who made brilliant and lasting contributions in their field.

Modern Celebrities battling Mental Illness: Many modern celebrities have come forward with their own personal accounts of mental illness. Examples: Marc Summers (OCD), Ben Stiller (Bipolar Disorder), Ashley Judd (Depression), Marie Osborne and Brooke Shields (Postpartum Depression), Patty Duke (Bipolar Disorder) and Howie Mandel (OCD)

Psychological labeling system and Stigma: “Crazy” is just a word. “Depressed” is just a word. “Bipolar” is just a word. But what effect do these “words” have on the people who are associated with them? Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the US and Canada right now, yet a recent poll found that 59% of people surveyed felt comfortable with someone who was in a wheelchair, but only 19% had the same level of comfort with someone who had a mental illness. Would you shun someone at a dinner party for revealing that they had diabetes? Imagine telling a cancer patient that their disease was brought on by emotional weakness and immoral choices. Many people with mental issues are afraid to get diagnosed— those who do often struggle with guilt and shame because of the negative stigma associated with their diagnosis. This play addresses how we categorize and label one another socially, medically, and personally.

Author’s personal battle with Mood Disorder: As a freshman in college at Baylor University, Lacy was having some problems sleeping and focusing and was having hormonal mood swings. She was diagnosed with a mood disorder, alongside the ADHD. She experienced first hand the negative stigma that is associated with mental health diagnosis. She registered with the office of disabilities, a well-intentioned guidance councilor advised her to withdraw from Baylor and attend a community college in her hometown of Colleyville, TX, so as not to exacerbate her “problem”. She ignored this advice. And with the encouragement of a few key professors and professionals, she went on to become the first theater major to graduate from the honors college in the history of the school.