The thoughts of Joe Pantoliano following his
March 3, 2008
Interview/Blog entry from Kenneth Cole's
AWEARNESS BLOG:
I am growing increasingly concerned about the trauma of war and its affects on
the men and women in the military as well as their immediate and extended
families. For the first time in U.S. military history, psychological and
psychiatric services are being offered to our combat soldiers and veterans
whereas previously, they were encouraged to talk to their chaplain or to one
another in a foxhole.
A major issue remains, however, and that is how to care for the families of our
military, who are not being offered the same psychological services but yet who
are also suffering due to the stress of deployment and extended separation as
well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Civilian parents are not equipped with
the necessary skills and tools to explain to young children, how and why their
other parent suffers from PTSD, lost a limb or their life while in combat.
Mental illness carries a tremendous stigma in civilian life. In the military,
stigma, barriers to access and negative attitudes about mental health care
treatment often prevent a lot of people from seeking help. This extends to the
family, which is increasingly in crisis. Our military and their families
deserve better mental health care treatment. They deserve access to child
psychologists. They deserve our help.
I look forward to the day when the brain has the same "First Amendment" rights
as the kidney or the heart. I look forward to the day when a bipolar diagnosis
is as accepted as an asthma diagnosis. I look forward to the day when a husband
or wife celebrates finding the right therapy for schizophrenia or a cure for
Alzheimer's, or autism.
Mental illness does not discriminate. Mental illness is a bi-partisan, equal
rights issue and concern. One of the reasons that our Congressional leaders are
so passionate about mental health parity is that they can admit that mental
illness is somewhere in their lives. The entertainment industry leaders are the
same. Celebrities live their personal highs and their personal lows in the
spotlight. Their struggles, particularly those with drug and alcohol, are
demonized when help is what's needed. And the same is true for mentally ill
people, most of whom do not live their lives in the public eye. For every
celebrity whose life ends prematurely by a drug overdose or suicide, there are
thousands more tragedies that go unreported. And this is why NKM2 is so
important. We can help educate that people who suffer from mental illness have
real choices and can live full and productive lives once they receive proper
care and treatment. We need to broaden suicide prevention measures to encompass
drug and homicide prevention before it's too late.
Joe Pantoliano
President and Founder
