INTRODUCTION

When I first faced injustice due to my mental illness diagnosis, I thought that all I needed was a good lawyer who understood bipolar recovery. I assumed there was justice, even for those with a mental illness diagnosis. The more I asked for legal help, the more I learned about prejudice and how little lawyers knew about mental illnesses. I understood the problem, as I knew nothing about psychiatric illness when I experienced my manic episode at age 36. Like me, I learned that few people knew even the most basic facts about bipolar and the other mental illnesses. It seemed that no one cared if a person with a mental illness faced injustice and presumptions of guilt.

Discrimination was and is pervasive………

As with other national battles for civil rights, a victory for those with mental illness will require an educated media, an informed legal community, the support of the faith community, and educators willing to teach new truths to the generations to follow. This book discusses the roles of key professions in determining the plight of people with mental illness. Working together, our nation can end brain bondage.