Why sharing secrets is a powerful tool in defeating stigma of mental illness [TheState.com]

If secrecy fuels the stigma that surrounds mental illness, Patrick Kennedy says, then speaking out about one’s illness can be a powerful tool to defeat it.

“In my book, ‘A Common Struggle,’ I said that we are only as sick as our secrets,” said Kennedy, son of the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy and former U.S. Congressman from Rhode Island, who will share his story of mental illness and addiction at the Southeastern Symposium on Mental Health Saturday in Greenville.

“Today, that’s the mantra of my life,” he added, “and speaking out is something I encourage others to do.”

About 43.8 million people ─ or one in five Americans ─ has a mental illness, according to the South Carolina Institute of Medicine & Public Health. And 10 million of them suffer from a serious condition such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

“When every one of us finds the courage to share our stories, we’ll see the old ways of thinking erode,” Kennedy said via email, “and we’ll begin to see mental illnesses for what they truly are: treatable health conditions from which people recover and live fully, happy and productive lives.”