More than drinking, more than drugs, more than crime or cancer, suicide is now the second leading cause of death in Canadians 15-24 years old. On Sunday August 1, 2010, Michael Schratter, a Vancouver teacher and social columnist will embark on a one year global journey, cycling 40,000 km, crossing 6 continents and 30 countries, in an effort to bring awareness to mental illness and help shatter the stigmas that surround it. All gross proceeds raised during the campaign will go to the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division.

From the road, Michael will be sharing his story and those of others, talking to students and the public to open the discussion of mental health in classrooms. “Canada’s youth suicide rate is already the third highest in the industrialized world” says Michael. “We must do everything we can to ensure these kids have solid support networks and above all, a sense of freedom to discuss mental health.”

Documenting his travels through the campaign blog along with twitter and facebook, followers will be able to witness first-hand every crack and cranny of this grueling expedition. “As much as the blog is to document my progress, above all it’s a platform for people to break their own silence,” says Schratter. “Creating a safe place for people to take a stand, and share their own struggles is the first step in empowering those affected by mental illness. Through education and understanding we can strip the stigma” he finished.

As someone who understands the pain and debilitating fear of discrimination that accompanies mental illness, Michael has vowed to do his part to help dispel the misconceptions from which stigma arises. In a campaign to rid the shame and bring reassurance to those affected, this endeavor is more than cycling trip; it is an international movement for personal rights.

Raising awareness, expectations, and funds, Michael Schratter will help shatter the stigma that is literally killing our youth.

(From Pamela Groberman’s press release)

Really interesting stuff you say here, and thanks for the rant.

Having seen “normal” and “abnormal” from many perspectives since I was, say, 3 months old, I hope it’s okay if I add a few shades of gray here.

I’d like to say that normal, too, has many shades. The couple you saw walking on the street? Are they normal? Maybe once they get home they’re done being lovey-dovey and he’ll beat her up because of how the coffee he just had interacts with the steroids he’s been using. We don’t know.

Maybe we all have our own “normals”, and maybe they change. It took me a long time to realize, for example, that suicide wasn’t a “normal” way to die, I had seen so much of it when I grew up. Now that I have a different life, I have a new “normal”. That includes, for instance, having only supportive friends. Is that normal? It also includes taking calls from people on Sunday night who are going crazy with anxiety. Is that normal? I don’t know, but it’s fine with me.

Grohol from PsychCentral says “maybe it’s best to think of ‘normal’ as a range of life experiences where we can live the life we want, without significant health or mental health impediments.” Is that perhaps what you’re talking about? You don’t want to spend time at the psych ward, you don’t want to be constantly afraid of your wife killing herself.

Then there’s another “normal”, and that is the statistical normal. It’s one that psychiatrists use a lot (without maybe even thinking about the word “normal”). If you score above a certain point on the hypomania dimension of the MMPI, you’re not “normal” anymore, meaning you score higher than the other gazillion people who’ve been tested on the MMPI. What does that mean? Not much without looking at the rest of your life.

With regard to people who say to those with major mental health issues, “you should do yoga” or “try dandelion wine” – well, in a way, that’s not “normal”, either, in the way that common sense is normal. Because there’s nothing normal (or common sense) about suggesting an umbrella to deal with a tornado or using a garden hose to handle a raging house fire, and those well-meaning (and ignorant) suggestions are pretty much along the same line.

Really, it’s all contextual, I believe. As for the New York times article, I know that there can be (notice the “can”) an important creative aspect to some experiences of mental illness. My father, who spent the majority of his life being bipolar, was an example of that, John is another.  Is that “normal”? I don’t know; in fact, I don’t care, it seems irrelevant. Does it make sense in the context of some individuals’ lives affected by mental illness? that’s the question I find interesting.

The experience is different for everyone, and most importantly, everyone deserves to live a life that feels good and right to them, a life with as much stability and predictability as they need in order to wake up most mornings (yes, mornings, not nights) and say, okay, we can do this.