I guess society is not yet comfortable with mental illness in the work place although some advances have been made. There is a lot of education to be done. I truly believe that until someone is exposed to some kind of mental illness whether it is themselves or a close one, they will never be at ease. In the past many causes have had to fight their way in the work force. I am thinking of cancer, aids, hepatitis A, B, C, and I am sure there are many others. The stereotypes that are attached to these illnesses only start to disappear when individuals start to be educated about the facts surrounding the illness and the fact that it is not contagious. Conclusion = FIRST PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY THEMSELVES ARE NOT AT RISK OF ANY KIND.

Next we have to talk about the media. Media is only interested in the ratings or the sale of their papers; in other words, the bottom line which is MONEY. In order to do this they need sensationalism. Notice how the reporter always says if the accused has a history of mental illness but fails to report his level of cholesterol or even blood pressure. Very few crimes are committed by people with a mental illness. Most often they will most likely hurt themselves rather than others. Notice how reporters also fail to say when the last episode of the illness was or if the illness had anything at all to do with the crime. Example: fraud is the crime and bi-polar is the illness, one has probably nothing to do with the other yet it is reported. Results on society are that people in general associate all that is bad with mental illness. The media is a powerful tool that when not used responsibly can cause a lot of damage. Hollywood would never have produced a movie such as "A BEAUTIFUL MIND" just 20 years earlier. When I see this I am encouraged and hopeful that one day soon everyone will be at ease with mental illness and it will be integrated in our society and the work place also. Let’s not forget that it is not so long ago that we would lock up all the "Crazy" people and throw away the key.
(Part 2 to be continued next week...)

Carmy Santoro

This approach to life has brought me to places I only dreamed of. I have great memories of life experiences and met some awesome people over the years.

All this is true but "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get” (from the movie Forest Gump). There have also been times in my life when things have not been so great. In those times I choose to get help. Talking to a therapist is always a great help for me. Good friends and family are part of my personal support network. We all have limited knowledge of something or other. No one knows it all.

Keep in mind that I am not a professional in the mental health field. Life is too short to go through the motions. Only you and a professional can determine if and what kind of help would be beneficial for you.

Everyone has the right to be and feel happy at least some of the time. This is what I wish for everyone. I hope you reach out in order to find the recipe to create your own happiness.

Good Luck and Never Give Up.
Carmy Santoro

Every one of us is responsible for ourselves. We go through life going through the motions or we choose to take life by the horns. We are all faced with decisions that dictate the paths we choose to travel.

My dad passed away when I was 17 years old (my brother Mike was 13). He had worked very hard to provide for his family. Unfortunately he was struck down by cancer at the young age of 53. The passing of my dad made me realize that we are mortal and our time on this earth is limited. Life is short. There are so many ambitions and possibilities but so little time. It was like a big light went on in my head.

One of the most important decisions in my life was to choose to live life to the fullest everyday. I love to travel, I have parachuted, I've been white water rafting (even though I could not swim at the time) and much more. I am always ready to have a good time. I try to take advantage of any opportunity to do something different. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not a party pooper.
(Part 2 to be continued next week...)

Carmy Santoro