Mental Health Professionals with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness: Fighting Stigma by Modeling Hope for Recovery

Jessie Pedro LIB 180 Summer 2011 Francine Wall, PhD.

Mental Health Professionals with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness: Fighting Stigma by Modeling Hope for Recovery How do successful mental health professionals provide a model for others with mental illness? Throughout history, mental health professionals with severe and persistent mental illness hid their condition due to the stigma which is associated with having a mental illness. That stigma is based on oppressive stereotypes that reinforce assumptions that anyone with a mental illness or mental disorder is delusional, crazy, unstable, irrational, violent, and the list goes on. Because of those stereotypes of individuals with mental illness, any mental health professional who admits to having a diagnosable mental disorder can lead to that mental health professional being seen as engaging in the "blind leading the blind" (clich). This situation is beginning to change. In a recent interview, Ann M. Lazaroff M.A., an Associate Professor at Antioch University Seattle's School of Applied Psychology, Counseling, and Family Therapy, stated stigma comes from a complete misunderstanding of mental illness and mental disorder, it is huge (Lazaroff, 2011). She also states, I am transparent with my students. Some people are very uncomfortable with the idea of a professor, [who has a mental disorder,] being transparent. They think its inappropriate. It is a very old idea that comes out of Freuds idea that you should not disclose anything about yourself to your clients. That belief has changed drastically in the profession, but there are a lot of people who still think that way. The therapeutic relationship requires a certain level of transparency on the part of the therapist (Lazaroff, 2011). Elyn R. Saks, professor at the University of Southern California School of Law has written about her own struggle with schizophrenia in her book "The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey

Through madness." She states, Theres a tremendous need to implode myths of mental illness, to put a face on it, to show people that a diagnosis does not have to lead to a painful and oblique life (NY Times, 2011).

The author argues that through mental health and other professionals with severe and persistent mental illness being open about their own diagnoses, they are modeling hope for recovery, which in turn helps to fight stigma, and gives encouragement to those with mental illness, including the hope that there can be a future in becoming a mental health professional, or in any profession they may choose. She contends that there are many mental health professionals who have succeeded and are recognized in research, in recovery, and in publications, including Dr Marsha Linehan, Dr Kay Redfield Jamison, and Dr Annie Rogers.

Academic Disciplines Psychology and Physiology

Library of Congress Subject heading Health Mental Disorders Recovery

Library of Congress Classification (LC) Areas R Medicine RC435-571 Psychiatry RC475-489 Therapeutics. Psychotherapy RC490-499 Hypnotism and hypnosis. Suggestion therapy RC500-510 Psychoanalysis RC512-569.5 Psychopathology RC512-528 Psychoses RC530-552 Neuroses RC554-569.5 Personality disorders. Behavior problems including sexual problems, drug abuse, suicide, child abuse

Keyword Terms Psychologists with mental disorder Mental disorders AND recovery

Mental disorders AND workplace

Databases and Periodical Indexes ProQuest EBSCO PsycArticles PsycInfo In the beginning before gathering information, and going to the library, I didnt have a clue what I was doing. It was very challenging because I never went to the library and looked up subject headings or key words. The more I asked questions the more I understood why I needed to identify subject headings and keywords. It was not just getting the books I needed, but to understand how to identify subject heading, the year it was published, the publisher, etc. It is like a key that unlocks more of the Knowing Theory, it is infinite.

Statistical Boston University, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Professionals and Managers with Serious Mental Illness can thrive in their Careers, BU Study Shows. Boston Psychiatric Rehabilitation. June 2000. Print

In Boston Massachusetts, June 2000 a study was completed on five hundred professionals and managers. All five hundred professionals had or have had a serious mental illness. The study showed seventy-three percent were able to achieve full-time employment. Sixty-two percent of the respondents had held their current job for more than two years, and sixty-nine percent had increased their responsibilities since starting their jobs. The five hundred professionals reported having disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression and post traumatic stress disorder.

Ecylopedia and References Encyclopedia Britannica. "Mental Disorder." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011. Web. 25 Aug. 2011. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/375345/mental-disorder>. The early history of mental disorders referenced in Egyptian, Indian, Greek, and Roman writings express that physicians and philosophers considered behavioral disturbances as indicative of the individual either displeasing the Gods or of demons having possessed the individual. Some physicians and philosophers became conscious of mental disorders, and recognized that these people should be treated with benevolence instead of exorcised, punished, and banished. Some Greek medical authors, such as Hippocrates looked at mental disorders as a disease to be understood in terms of disturbed physiology (Britannica, 22)

Chesler, Phyllis. Women and Madness

Palgrave Macmillan. New York. 2005. Print. Chesler addresses the history of the Asylums. She states that as early as the sixteenth century, women were shut up in madhouses by their husbands. In seventeenth century France, exclusive quarters/wards were given to women who were pregnant, poor, or sold themselves. Stigma and oppression was widely apparent throughout the centuries, particularly the stigma and oppression of women. Chesler provides the history of stigma, oppression, and the use of asylums for this topic.

Kutchins, Herb & Kirk, Stuart A. Making Us Crazy, DSM: The Psychiatric Bible and the Creation of Mental Disorders. Free Press. 1997. Print. Kutchins and Stuart examine the creation of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorders (DSM), a manual that identifies mental disorders and their symptoms. The authors state that the DSM was based on a study of men and did not include studies of women. They believe that the American Psychological Association wrote the DSM in order "to gain respectability with medicine and maintain dominance among many mental health professions." (Kutchins 23).

Periodicals and Articles Link, Bruce. Et.al. Stigma is a Barrier to Recovery: The Consequences of Stigma for the SelfEsteem of People with Mental Illnesses.

Psychiatric Services. December 2001 Volume 52 Number 12. nd. Print Stigma comes with a price to pay by those with mental illness, as stated by the authors. Mental illness results in failures within the lives of those with a mental disorder. The authors indicate, According to the stigma theory we used, people develop conception of mental illness early in life from family lore, personal experience, peer relations, and the medias portrayal of people with mental illnesses (Link Et.al. 1621). A study was done by the authors to determine whether stigma affects the self-esteem of persons having serious mental illnesses or whether stigma has few, if any, effects on self-esteem (Link Et.al. 1621). The conclusion of the study revealed that stigma plays a vital role in the lives of people with mental illness, frequently resulting in poor selfesteem, and the conclusion that they are "failures."

Lunt, Alan. Recovery: Moving from Concept toward a Theory. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. Spring 2000 Volume 23 Number 4. Print Lunt, a peer advocate who has mental illness, writes in an article, that although professionals have the best of intentions, consumers will continue to find themselves alone on their journey through life (Lunt, 401). The author also states, recovery is about possibilities and potentials unknown and unheard (Lunt, 404). When one gets past the painful realization of how mental illness has meant lost opportunities, one can discover the joys of renewed opportunities and become an integral part of life--not a mere sidebar to it. This is the death of stigma; to be readily acknowledged as an essential part of life in the mainstream of society (Lunt, 404). This scholarly journal article from a peer advocate speaks from those who suffer from mental illness, and gives the research a different aspect than those of a professional nature.

Books Jamison, Kay Redfield. An Unquiet Mind Vintage Books. United States. 1996. Print Jamison, a professor of psychology reveals her story of struggles with bipolar or manic depression. The author was concerned that if she told her story the California Board of Medical Examiners would not give her a license if they found out about her disability. One of many reasons why professionals hide their mental disorders, this book speaks on why it is relevant to fight stigma.

Rogers, Annie G. A Shinning Affliction: A Story of Harm and Healing in Psychotherapy. Penguin Group. New York. 1995. Print Rogers, a psychology graduate student at the time, reveals her own traumatic experience while being a psychotherapist to a child name Ben. Rogers recognized, For a long time I was reluctant to bring the story of my own failed psychotherapy and subsequent breakdown into this book. What made this addition almost unthinkable was my observation that clinicians did not reveal the details of their personal histories. Those who wrote most eloquently about their cases, such as Freud, Winnicott, and Sechehaye, revealed themselves indirectly in the telling (Rogers, 4818). This book is relevant to the topic because in bringing out the authors own trauma and healing through the publication of her own story, it illustrates the fact that those with severe and persistent mental illness can indeed obtain a future as a mental health professional.

Internet Sources Salmon, Jacqueline L. Kay Redfield Jamison: A profile in courage. bp Magazine. Winter 2009 Issue. Web. July 27, 2011 < http://www.bphope.com/Item.aspx/482/kay-redfield-jamison-a-profile-in-courage> Salmon, a staff writer of the Washington Post, a reputable newspaper establishment, writes on the courage of Dr Kay Jamison, who has manic-depression. Fearing that disclosure would damage her academic and hard-won professional career, Jamison kept her illness secret from even her closest associates. She did inform her bosses, however, and received nothing but encouragement from them (bp Magazine, 2009).

Carey, Benedict. Expert on Mental Illness Reveals Her Own Fight. New York Times. June 23, 2011. Print. July 27, 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/health/23lives.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Dr %20linehen&st=cse > Carey, New York Times writer, interviews Marsha Linehan, a Professor of Psychology and adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington, and Director of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics, and who has borderline personality disorder. Dr. Linehen comes out telling her story that she has a mental illness. Linehen, states that as a client of hers asks if she has a mental illness, Linehan responds, You mean, have I suffered?' 'No, Marsha,' the patient replied, in an encounter last spring. 'I mean one of us. Like us. Because if you

were, it would give all of us so much hope.' (NY Times, 2011). This source shows the importance of hope in the topic that is researched. Non-Print Sources Lazaroff, Ann M. Personal interview. 15 Aug. 2011. Ann M. Lazaroff M.A., associate professor of Antioch University Seattle, who has a diagnosis of ADD and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, was interviewed at her private practice office where she is a psychotherapist. Lazaroff has been a psychotherapist and a licensed mental health counselor for 12 years, she has published a paper in 2006 when she was asked to speak at the Oxford Round Table at University of Oxford in Oxford England, a forum which seeks to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the discussion of contemporary issues that affect the public good in all its various forms and ramifications. In the interview Lazaroff conveys it is important to be transparent to students and clients, I deal with some students having a real issue with my being transparent about some of my own struggles with mental health stuff, thats mental health oppression, they dont want to hear about it (Lazaroff, 2011). She emphasizes that there is a lot of misunderstandings, but when it comes to mental health, the stigma is the worst. She implies in order to be a professional one needs to work on them selves, and on their own healing before they try to be a therapist. Hope for Recovery, people want evidence; they want to see people whove recovered. Thats what theyre looking for, just like sexual abuse victims, they want to know if you can recover from sexual abuse, they want to know if you can heal from sexual abuse, they want to know it is not going to ruin their life forever (Lazarof, 2011). There is recovery. The concept of using an interview in research gives a live account of the research, here is a professional with a mental disorder and is providing transparency so her clients and students know fighting

stigma in a hope recovery model gives the person with mental illness that there is a future, that having a mental disorder one can recover and have a prosperous life in society.

Publications of interviewee Lazaroff, Ann M. The Role of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in the Maintenance of the Subjugation of Women: Implications for the Training of Future Mental Health Professionals. Oxford University. Published by the Forum on Public Policy. The Forum on Public Policy. Volume 2006 Number 1. Web. August 17, 2011 <http://forumonpublicpolicy.com/archive06/lazaroff.pdf> Lazaroff, Ann M. Abstract: The article reviews the book "Counseling Sexual and Gender Minorities," by Lynne Carroll. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling. Apr-Jun2011, Vol. 5 Issue 2, p151-154, 4p. Media Review. August 19, 2011 Author Affiliations: Antioch University-Seattle.

Review of My Research Process

I have learned many things through out this process of researching. I can say that it has been a learning experience and a challenging experience. I have learned that narrowing down your topic does make a difference, narrowing it down made me focus on what I wanted to present in this pathfinder. The experience of the library and librarian made me more aware of what information is available to me in my learning experience. It was useful to ask question, it is the key to learning what I dont know, and am aware of the learning is infinite. The greatest experience of this research is when I went to a professional for the interview, and the knowledge that she provided for me to learn more than what I set out to learn through the research. I can call it an extra bonus in learning. The information I was gathering was amazing and sad at the same time. To read about human beings that were put in asylums and the diagnosing of people with mental illness was daunting. And information gathering of peoples stories and they were able to be transparent to give hope to others. The challenges was to get a global aspect on this topic, I didnt find any at this time, maybe in the future. The internet is a good place to find information on a topic. The comparison between the internet sources to book sources is not quite that different, the only difference is the information is from a book and a web page, it is the validity and creditability of both internet source and book source combine makes a better well rounded research material. I came to the conclusion with all the sources that I have found in my research including other sources that are not in this pathfinder implies that fighting stigma models hope for recovery is based on the transparency of mental health

professionals with mental illness, to give those that are still struggling that there is hope for a future.