In a Washington Post op-ed published this past Wednesday – “In defense of the mentally ill” – Pete Earley addressed the all-too-common stereotype that people with mental illness “are untrustworthy and dangerous.” As Pete noted, this stigmatizing notion is grossly unfair to the overwhelming majority of those with mental illness, who are much more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators.

This is very personal for Pete, who bore witness to his son Mike’s struggles with the criminal justice system in his book Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness. Pete’s book was a finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize, and the following year Pete addressed the WellPower’s annual Recovery Conference.

In his op-ed, Pete noted that because of his diagnosis with bipolar disorder, Mike “has been barred from certain jobs and turned away from employment opportunities for which he was well-qualified. Friends have distanced themselves. People whisper behind his back. Housing is tougher for him to find. Health insurers are wary. All because he developed a mood disorder during his twenties that psychiatrists claim is a biologically and genetically based illness that clearly is not his fault.”

“Understanding Mental Illness: Defeating Stigma” was the theme of our 2012 Recovery Conference this past May. Our keynote speaker, Dr. Pat Corrigan, also addressed the unfairness of societal attitudes toward those among us who, with proper treatment and support, are recovering from mental illness every day. This is personal for Pat as well. A distinguished professor and an accomplished researcher, he too is recovering from mental illness.

At the WellPower we invite all in our own community to stand with us as champions of those whose recovery can be just a helping hand away.