Patrick Joesph Schnerch, click
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Blogs by Patrick Joesph Schnerch
Bipolar Babe 7/4/2009 7:36:14 AM
The onset of mental illness is common in the age group between the late teens and early to mid-twenties. Service providers mainly deal with individuals that have entered the system after many devastating years of debilitation and often also have addiction problems.
Many of these people were not diagnosed in early life and were not medically treated properly. Often, addiction masked the symtoms of mental illness and the individual assumed the labels of being either a drug addict or drunk whose life was not worth the time or effort to save.
Improperly treated, other behavioural problems would develop in the years to come. Obsessive compulsive disorder, psychosis, disassociation or even self-mutilation would compound upon each other in a progressive manner making life near impossible to cope with. Many gave up hope and a great number committed suicide.
The older generation are dying off due to inadequate detection and treatment at an early age. Today we realize this and and are trying to play catch-up, often with poor results.
We still have not learnt from our mistakes from decades ago. Early diagnosis and treatment of mental illness not only saves lives but also has residual benifits as well. Billions of dollars can be saved in treating mental illness and addiction if our efforts were more directed to serving our youth with these conditions and guiding them through what could be a life threatening situation.
As it is now, there are still inadequate services available that are directed at early detection and treatment for our youth with mental illness. There is however a silver lining to that dark cloud. Bipolar Babe. com is a grassroots organization being formed in Victoria, BC who focuses on providing candid and unjudgmental dialogue among this age group in a forum either on the website, school auditorium or hospital.
This compliments medical treatment allowing for a vent among peers. This organization is under the strong leadership of Bipolar Babe, CEO, mastermind and driving force of what has the potential of becoming a national organization in very short order.
It has already gained the attention of the Mental Health Commission of Canada and many local organizations in Victoria. From its conception of only five months ago, Bipolar Babe is sky-rocketing to great hieghts and popularity.
The organizations has an excellent website that you must visit at least once to see this. It is unlike anything you have seen before. It is informative, enlightening and even fun. I came to realize that mental illness does not have to detroy or kill me, there are now other options.
Bipolar Babe is focusing on providing awareness about this condition in hopes of eliminating stigma, discrimination an unwarranted fears against those with mental illness.
My business, "West Coast Literary Productions" is in full support of this organization and will help in any way possible to prevent another suicide, a life of inner pain and discrimination. You owe yourself to check this out! www.bipolarbabe.com.
