Glenn Close Speaks Out on Sister's Mental Illness
Close's sister and nephew join her in a new campaign to confront the stigma of mental illness.
Actress Glenn Close is sharing her family's experiences with mental illness as a way of challenging stereotypes and lessening the stigma associated with psychological illness.
Close has recorded a new public service announcement that shows her alongside her sister Jessie, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Jessie's son Caleb, who suffers from schizoaffective disorder, is also featured in the PSA.
The actress—who has played her share of psychologically unbalanced characters on screen—said she wants to open up a dialogue about living with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and similar illnesses.
"Mental illness is just part of the human condition," Close said in an appearance on Good Morning America. "I envision [a time] when we can talk about it as freely and openly as cancer or diabetes."
The new campaign is part of the vision of BringChange2Mind.org, an organization founded by Close to bring support to people with mental illnesses and enhance access to information about these diseases.
In a column published in the Huffington Post, Close said she hopes these efforts will help "break through the silence and fear" to confront the stigma of mental illness head-on.
Sarah Beldo is a journalist in San Francisco
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Comments
My diagnosis is also manic
My diagnosis is also manic depression and my youngest son is Schizoaffective disorder with Aspergers Syndrome. It is only with the grace of God our family has managed to stay together. My husband and I have been together 31 years despite the mental illness in our family. My mother told me when she met my "boyfriend" that he was a keeper. She was right. It takes a special man to hold on when the going has been more down than up. I praise God every day for giving him to me.
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