MHA's Blog: Chiming In

When Mental Health Is a Laughing Matter

By David Granirer, Counselor, Stand-Up Comic, and Founder of Stand Up For Mental Health (David Granirer will present during Mental Health America's 2013 Annual Conference at The Clifford Beers Awards Dinner).

Most people think you have to be nuts to do stand-up comedy. I offer it as a form of therapy. And it’s not as crazy as it seems. Stand Up For Mental Health is my program where I teach stand-up comedy to people with mental health issues as a way of building confidence, promoting recovery and fighting public stigma.

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Congratulations to Meagan Barnes, who was crowned Mrs. DC America last weekend. She’s chosen to use her platform to raise awareness for mental health issues (and Mental Health America).

Meagan is actively involved in the community and works tirelessly to bring mental health challenges to the forefront of discussions. She is the Founder of an online resource for women suffering from anxiety and panic disorders. She also is a blogger for EmpowHER.com, an award-winning social health company for women. Meagan is also known for hosting a bi-weekly support group where women who have anxiety and panic disorders, can connect with other women and share their stories and journeys. She has been nicknamed “The Angelic Warrior,” by her peers for her bravery in speaking up on issues regarding the mental health state of women.

View an interview she did the morning after her win at http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/03/meagan-barnes-crowned-mrs-d-c--86361.html

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I’ve been immensely proud to work at Mental Health America for over four years now, and the story of the creation of the organization has always been a source of pride. Clifford Beers, a young man from Connecticut, spent three years in various mental hospitals in the state, and when he got out, he changed the world. He wrote a book called A Mind That Found Itself, published in 1908, and used his experiences to create the National Committee on Mental Hygiene. The Committee was created in 1909, and in 2012, we celebrate 104 years of fighting for what Mr. Beers strove for, openness and lack of stigma for people with mental illnesses. This idea goes back to his time in hospitals, and to the writing of his book.

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The nation must build on the attention given mental health that has followed the Newtown tragedy by deploying a public health response and implementing scientific advances that can prevent, identify and effectively treat mental illnesses, experts from Mental Health America assert in the March issue of the journal Health Affairs.

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Mental Health America will host a briefing by policy experts on critical mental health issues and their relationship to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on Thursday, March 7, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News will moderate a distinguished panel, which includes representatives of Mental Health America’s Regional Policy Council (RPC), a network of affiliate leaders who monitor and advocate for ACA implementation efforts in the states.

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