There are so many working to increase awareness, reduce stigma,  advocate for proper treatment and services for those with mental illness – and their families.  Sharing stories, spreading the word, creating events, producing documentaries, writing letters, speaking to legislators – we are everywhere.

Here are some terrific links I hope you will check out and support – and that they might be of some inspiration to you as well.

Check out this trailer for a documentary-in-progress called Voices. (“A documentary about people who live in the shadows of society”) Gary Tsai, a resident psychiatrist in the Bay area, is one of its producers.

Why this film? (still in post-production, not yet released, but there is lots to see on its website)

“Some have been living on the streets for decades, others are now housed, but all are connected by their struggles, and successes, with mental illness. By shining a light on their experiences, we aspire to give them a voice and to humanize their experiences so that they are defined not by their disability or homelessness, but by their unique and compelling stories.”

Here is another documentary, which has its first hometown screening tonight in Chapel Hill, NC. Continue reading Mental Health Links of Hope and Understanding →