Last night our executive director, Joy Hogge, took part in a live online panel discussion hosted by Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) about the state of our mental health system in Mississippi as a follow-up to its airing of the PBS series Mysteries of Mental Illness. The four-part series “explores the story of mental illness in science and society and traces the evolution of this complex topic from its earliest days to present times.”
If you weren’t able to participate in the online discussion last night or to watch the series on MPB last week, we wanted to remind you that the series is available to stream on the MPB website and you can watch each episode at a time that’s convenient for you. We think the series was well done and worth your time and interest. Here’s a description of each of the four episodes.
Episode 1-Evil or Illness
Treatment of mental illness over history has been trial and error and, today, doctors still search for answers.
Episode 2-Who’s Normal
Learn how science and societal factors are deeply entwined with our ever-shifting definitions and diagnoses of mental health and illness.
Episode 3-The Rise and Fall of the Asylum
Until a few decades ago, the United States relied on mass confinement in mental asylums, for the mentally ill, as well as extreme treatments, from lobotomy to coma therapy.
Episode 4-New Frontiers
Look at today’s most cutting-edge treatments for mental illness, and explore one of the most urgent fronts on the battle against mental illness: the fight for inclusion – a society more open to all kinds of minds and behavior, and free from stigma, based on the understanding that mental health exists on a spectrum.
SHARE YOUR STORY: WHAT’S YOUR NORMAL?
MPB and PBS are also asking those who would like to share their story–by text, or an image or a short video–“in whatever way they feel most comfortable and on whatever platform they feel most comfortable”–using the hashtag #MentalHealthPBS on social media. They hope that this “What’s Your Normal?” engagement campaign will drive thoughtful and meaningful conversations online that de-stigmatize the misconceptions that surround those facing a mental health disorder diagnosis.
