Feb. 24--Michael Cronin was behind the wheel several years ago and knew then he would either drive his car into a tree to end his life or get help.
Cronin got help. At 3 a.m., he checked himself into a hospital. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (or manic-depressive disorder), which is marked by periods of excitability (mania) alternating with periods of depression.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, sometimes bipolar disorder can cause people to feel like killing themselves. More than 2 million Americans have the disorder.
What made Cronin decide to seek help was thoughts of friends and family who would be hurt by his suicide.
"I had to take a step back and look at how others see me, and I was a mess," he said. "I needed to open up and not be angry all the time."
Cronin also has ADD (attention deficit disorder) and suffers from clinical depression likely caused by abuse he suffered as a child. More often than not, teachers stuck him in the back of the classroom. Doctors prescribed him medication after medication. That seemed to make it worse.
"My mind is always ticking. It is hard for us to think in shades of gray," he said. "I play chess occasionally and my mind is always a chess game. I think, 'If I do this, then this will happen. If I don't do this, then this will happen.' One little thing knocks me down, and I can be like that for a week, a month, a year."
Then a public service announcement on TV inspired him to contact Mental Health America of Aiken County and talk with Director Lisa Tindal.
The PSA spotlights BringChange2Mind.org, a not-for-profit created in part by actress Glenn Close. Close volunteered at Fountain House to learn more about her sister and nephew, who both have a mental illness. The commercial, directed by Ron Howard, launches a campaign battling against the stigmas surrounding mental illness.
The commercial features Close, her sister and other people who wear white T-shirts reading "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder," "Bipolar," "Depression" and "Schizophrenic." Beside them stand people with T-shirts reading "Better Half," "Mom" and "Sister."
As the commercial ends, the white T-shirts fade and the people who wore them blend in seamlessly with the crowd in the bus terminal.
"I told Lisa I want to be as proactive as possible. This commercial told me this is what I want to do with the rest of my life. I want to help everyone," Cronin said.
The message in the commercial is exactly what he wants to stress -- people with mental illnesses are not crazy. He said you couldn't pick them out of a crowd if you didn't know any better.
That is what Mental Health America of Aiken County is all about. The organization seeks to improve services for persons with mental illnesses, to remove the stigma of mental illness and to promote good mental health. It offers education and awareness outreach opportunities including mental health screenings, workshops and trainings and advocacy.
"Advocacy, outreach and referrals," Tindal said. "Someone you know may have a mental illness, and you can become a member to support us."
For more information, call Mental Health America of Aiken County at 641-4164 or e-mail mhaaiken@gmail.com.
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