WHAT'S UP WITH ALL OF THIS STIGMA?

WHAT'S UP WITH ALL OF THIS STIGMA? "Extravagant pain and exquisite joy are but standard fare at the banquet of creativity" I coined this phrase when I wrote my first book of poetry, a journal entitled Soulgasm. Every poignant moment of my life has been captured. Langston Hughes once said, "My life ain't been no crystal stair..." I understand this all too well being bipolar and possessing "the poet's disease" I was at the same time a highly functioning psychiatric nursing supervisor. I would suggest to you that the greatest writings, art, music and inventions of all times have been invented by someone with a mental illness. In our society, it is tolerable for someone to have a mental illness; someone you know and love is definitely "off." There's one strange aunt, uncle, cousin, in every family tree. My beef is the stigma attached to mental- illness when so many people are "crazy." I believe that when a mentally-ill person can function, be self-supporting, and not break the law, then we put all of these "crazies" on "reality shows" Ratings for these shows are off the chain. People are mesmerized. . My bowels of compassion are not for the multi- married, drugging, drinking, gambling, fighting , spending, garden variety bipolars. My compassions are for the ones with great art, writings, and music trapped inside that cannot come out because they cannot cope with the stress of life: the rent, the bills etc. They use up everything they have to survive when these "masterpieces" lie dormant with the world unable to see them. I have a proposal: Why don't those in the mental health profession get federal funding for "safe houses" or "safe communities" like the artists communities only for non-violent bipolars who are medication compliant. There, all of the bills will be paid, the clients will be fed, and their basic needs will be taken care of, allowing them to tap into the tremendous source of creativity that lies within. Give them tools; instruments, computers, canvases, cameras, multimedia equipment. There must be controls: an in house psychiatric technician an R.N. Psychiatrists who recommend the patients; initially screening for the potentially violent. Certain clients will not be able to comply with the program of medications, groups, drug addiction education, and other progressive modalities. After a pre-determined time there should be a works of shining wonder for the world to see. Let these clients give back to the foundation 10% of their inventions in art, music or whatever ingenious things that have been developed. These clients will then be able to pay their own bills and help others like themselves to in turn create. For one, am tired of hearing of the mentally- ill and homeless being left to die in the sun. We can do something. Let us do something, and give the world its greatest untapped creative genius while creating self- supporting individuals.