Guest Blog: Justice and Discrimination

Guest Blog
Written by Angela Vickers, author of Brain Bondage- The Delay in Mental Illness Recovery

When I first faced injustice due to my mental illness diagnosis, I thought that all I needed was a good lawyer who understood bipolar recovery. I assumed there was justice, even for those with a mental illness diagnosis. The more I asked for legal help, the more I learned about prejudice and how little lawyers knew about mental illnesses. I understood the problem, as I knew nothing about psychiatric illness when I experienced my manic episode at age 36. Like me, I learned that few people knew even the most basic facts about bipolar and the other mental illnesses.

Discrimination was and is pervasive.

As with other national battles for civil rights, a victory for those with mental illness will require an educated media, an informed legal community, the support of the faith community, and educators willing to teach new truths to the generations to follow.

Angela D. Vickers’ book Brain Bondage is available through her website:www.angelavickers.net

The opinions expressed by guest bloggers are their own and not necessarily that of the Treatment Advocacy Center.Want to be a guest blogger? Tell us why at info@treatmentadvocacycenter.org.