Stigma Busting

Te persistent stigma
of mental illness
O
ne in four people will be af-
fected by mental illness, with
20 percent of youth ages 13-18
experiencing severe mental
illness in any given year.
The road to seeking help when you
are faced with a potential mental health
issue isnt an easy one, but its a road
that has been traveled by many families
successfully. They have found that hope
and resilience are keys to recovery, and
yes, people can and do recover.
The road to recovery is marked by
challenges. Despite the prevalence
of mental illness, stigma around
mental health disorders persists,
and is one of the most detrimental
barriers to people seeking and ulti-
mately getting the help they need.
So, what can we do about it? We
can talk about it openly just like you
would if a family member experi-
ences a health issue. We can get
help for young children experienc-
ing emotional issues as this may
prevent escalating problems in the
future. We can reach out to friends,
neighbors and family members
and ask about their treatment and
listen to their story. We can do this
until no one feels ashamed and no
one feels alone, until those who
need help are empowered to seek it.
A solution is not only possibleit
exists today.
The following stories are exam-
ples of what can happen when we
get beyond the stigma and address
some of these issues head-on. Other-
wise talented and highly capable in-
dividuals can be crippled by mental
illnessespecially when help isnt
sought. These courageous people
are shining examples of the power
of seeking help; shining a light on
their journey toward recovery.
More at oakpark.com
I NTRODUCTI ON
SHEDDING LIGHT ON MENTAL HEALTH
June 4, 2014
Loving
Julia
Even a family steeped
in mental health care, faces
challenges within
By DEB QUANTOCK McCAREY
Contributing Reporter
T
o meet Julia Haptonstahl, 26, is to be-
gin to understand what makes this
petite and resilient, self-advocating
and artistic, athletic redhead tick.
In her mid teens, the young woman
who fell in love with the art form of dance
at age 2, says her life was interrupted by a
diagnosis of depression, although she said
there were signs in play prior to that.
Now, more than a decade in, the profes-
sional modern ballet dancer turned certi-
fied Pilates instructor is healthy and here,
thanks in part to the love and support she
has from her parents, Michele and Jim
Haptonstahl, and sister Elizabeth.
I guess when you are a teenager, all
these hormones are changing and I didnt
really know what was going on, says Julia.
Between the ages of 15 to nearly 20, Ju-
lias depression was mis-diagnosed and
mis-medicated.
From its onset, Julias mom, Michele, a
clinical social worker who does psychother-
apy with adults, says that she suspected that
Julia was dealing with bipolar disorder, not
unipolar depression, and questioned Ju-
lias psychiatrist about prescribing SSRIs
[Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors] to
treat her.
Even so, early on, at age 15, Julia did ex-
perience one of the side effects of an SSRI
medication in teenagers. She attempted
suicide.
DAVID PIERINI/Staf Photographer
THE WAY BACK: Julia Haptonstahl and her family have spent a decade joined in eforts to
understand issues of mental illness. See LOVING JULIA on Page 4
We proudly support Stigma Busting
in partnership with
www.childrenscliniciws.org
708-848-0528
www.thrivecc.org
708-383-7500
namimetsub.org
708-524-2582
2 Wednesday Journal, June 4, 2014 OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
STI GMA BUSTI NG
Healthy
body,

healthy

mind
Exploring the links between mental
and physical wellbeing
By DEB QUANTOCK McCAREY
Contributing Reporter
A
t the end of first grade, Jan Tendick began getting e-
mails from her daughter Kaiahs teacher, informing her
that the 7-year-old was losing focus and having crying
episodes at school.
Meanwhile on the homefront, at night Kaiah had
begun seeking self-comfort by climbing into bed with Ten-
dick, which was new, habitual and a probable sign that
something deeper was going on with her daughter, says the
62-year-old retired occupational therapist.
Tendick, a biological mother of two children, now is rais-
ing three adopted daughters, ages 8 to 21, including Kaiah,
as well as fostering a fourth little girl.
All of her children possess a range of chronic health issues,
that are being addressed by the health providers at the In-
fant Welfare Society Childrens Clinic in Oak Park, she says,
where medical, dental and mental health services co-exist.
However, last year, at the time of this crisis, Tendick says
she was a board member of the nonprofit, and didnt want
other people to know that Kaiah was sleeping with me every
night, she says.
I knew that there was a series of things causing her
change in behavior, and I finally sought out help out of sheer
desperation, she says. Kaiah underwent a mental health as-
sessment last fall, and then started one-on-one counseling
sessions with the clinics child therapist. Kaiah, now 8, has
learned how to positively modify her behaviors.
When we would ask her why do you have trouble sleep-
ing, she couldnt even think of the words, Tendick says.
That is why the play and art aspect of the therapy worked
really well for her.
Wake up call
Disruptive and disorganized sleep patterns in children,
says Colette Lueck, managing director of the Childrens
Health Partnership, is a typical way that young children
demonstrate distress.
Sometimes it is connected to a current issue that they are
anxious about, or something that happened long ago, and
they are suddenly feeling that they are in a safe enough en-
vironment that now they can deal with their feelings about
it, says Lueck, who is also an Oak Park village trustee. So,
the sleep disorder can occur way after the precipitating
event, and it is not an uncommon pattern at all.
Lueck adds that anytime a parent has a concern about
their child, they need to seek out a mental health profes-
sional to get an assessment.
Maybe it is something that is transitional and will work
its way outbut maybe it isnt, she says. A good profes-
sional will help the parents figure that out and decide what
the best course of action is for that particular child.
Lueck adds that a parent not seeking out help because of
the stigma surrounding mental illness is not uncommon ei-
ther, particularly in a community such as Oak Park where
parents are so focused on child achievement, and if your
child is not above average, it can be very isolating, and very
difficult to feel comfortable about talking about the strug-
gles you are having, she says.
But, talking to other parents who are struggling with some
of the same kinds of concerns, whether that is around autism,
or mental health issues, or other developmental impacts, can
be important and helpful in terms of de-isolation and support.
Stigma is a major reason that some kids dont get any treat-
ment, or even get their mental health issues addressed because
no one wants to admit that they have a mental health issue
because there is so much stigma attached to it, says Lueck.
When to seek help for your child
As parents we are usually the frst to recognize our child is having
problems either at home, at school or both. The decision to seek profes-
sional help can be difcult. The frst step is to gently try to talk to your
child. An honest open discussion about feelings can often help. These
emotions or behaviors may resolve themselves. If problems persist for
longer than two months your child should be assessed by their primary
care physician and/or a trained mental health professional. Early
assessment and intervention can prevent further sufering, and can stop
problems from getting worse.
Following are a few signs which may indicate that a mental health
assessment by a trained mental health professional could be helpful.
SIGNS
Infant and toddlers (birth to three years)
Feeding or sleeping problems
Frequently bites or hits others with no provocation
Anxious and clingy attachment to care giver
No stranger anxiety; indiscriminate attachment
Sad facial expression, avoids eye contact
Uncomfortable when held
Too easily upset and difcult to soothe
Preschoolers (3-5 year old)
Engages in compulsive behaviors, head banging
Throws wild, despairing tantrums
Withdrawn: shows little interest in social interaction
Displays repeated aggressive or impulsive behavior
Difculty playing with others
Little or no communication; lack of language
Loss of earlier developmental achievements
Younger children (5-10 years of age)
Poor grades in school despite trying very hard
Severe worry or anxiety, as shown by regular refusal to go to school, go to
sleep or take part in activities that are normal for the childs age
Frequent physical complaints
Hyperactivity; fdgeting; constant movement beyond regular play
Persistent nightmares
Persistent disobedience or aggression (longer than 6 months)
Frequent, unexplainable temper tantrums
Threatens to harm or kill oneself
Adolescents and teens
Marked decline in school performance
Inability to cope with problems and daily activities
Marked changes in sleeping and/or eating habits
Extreme difculties in concentrating that get in the way at school or at home
Depression shown by sustained, prolonged negative mood and attitude
Severe mood swings
Strong worries or anxieties that get in the way of daily life, such as at school
or socializing
Repeated use of alcohol and/or drugs
Threats of self-harm or harm to others
Persistent nightmares
Frequent outbursts of anger, aggression
DAVID PIERINI/Staf Photographer
LEARNING EARLY: Social worker Judy Crivolio and Kaiah
Tendrick, 8, demonstrate play therapy at Te IWS Chil-
drens Clinic on Lake Street.
We proudly support Stigma Busting
in partnership with
www.childrenscliniciws.org
708-848-0528
www.thrivecc.org
708-383-7500
namimetsub.org
708-524-2582
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM Wednesday Journal, June 4, 2014 3
STI GMA BUSTI NG
Standing up
to stigma
By DEB QUANTOCK McCAREY
Contributing Reporter
P
ooja Nagpal, 28, a Peer Recovery Specialist at River-
edge Hospital in Forest Park, says that as a young
adult she was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disor-
der (ADD) and Major Depressive Disorder.
In April, the aspiring comic learned first hand how writ-
ing and performing jokes about the foibles of living with a men-
tal illness can aid her as she pursues a life of ongoing recovery.
Recently Nagpal was one of five from the National Alli-
ance on Mental Illness (NAMI) mental health participants
to take a multi-month stand up comedy training with David
Granirer, the founder of Stand Up for Mental Health, and
who this year was tapped to be the emcee at NAMIs annual
spring fundraiser, Nagpal says.
In breaking stigma, says Granirer, who is living with de-
pression himself, The idea is that laughing at our setbacks
raises us above them. It makes people go
from despair to hope, and hope is crucial to
anyone struggling with adversity. Studies
prove that hopeful people are more resilient
and also tend to live longer, healthier lives,
he writes on his website, http://standupfor-
mentalhealth.com, where videos of him in
action can be viewed.
At the event, in front of about 300 people,
Nagpal joked that When I got depressed, I
lost 10 to 15 pounds. After all, when youre
depressed who needs Jenny Craig. Every
time I need to lose weight I just watch The
Bachelor and trigger a major depression.
So, on a cool spring day in Oak Park, Nagpal
joined Jeffrey Shapiro, 34, a Peer Recovery Spe-
cialist at Thrive Counseling Center who is liv-
ing with schizophrenia, and Peter Briggs, 43, a
mental health advocate living with bipolar I dis-
order to share their personal experiences deal-
ing with the issue of stigma over a cup of joe.
What is stigma to you?
Briggs: For me, it hurts that people think youre crazy, but
if they dont accept that you do have something going on,
thats almost harder.
Shapiro: Ive come across some stigma in the past, includ-
ing outright discrimination. There are all sorts of stereo-
types of what schizophrenics, or what a mentally ill person,
would be doing such as that a person may become violent,
may not be intelligent, and that those individuals belong in
the hospital all the time. Its just not true.
Nagpal: Stigma is directly equated to harsh judgment on
your personality, a lack of understanding, and even a lack
of interest in understanding, because it is an easy way to
say youre weird, get away.
Give me an example.
Briggs: When the mother of a girl I was seeing at the time
heard the story about the gentleman (who was diagnosed as
having bipolar diagnosis) having a (psychotic break) on a
plane, she said to her daughter you have to stay away from
him forever, hes crazy and hes going to hurt you. Its those
people who jump to the conclusion that
you are going to harm somebody that
is hurtful, especially when you are do-
ing all your best, taking your meds, go-
ing to meetings, seeing a therapist.
Shapiro: One of the stereotypes is
that mental illness is equated with
mental retardation, that people are
less intelligent and less capable in
functioning and fulfilling daily expec-
tations in life or that there is no such
thing as recovery. Thats not true be-
cause I feel like Im a living example of
someone whos come a long way.
Nagpal: In general I have been told you
dont have to take medication to get bet-
ter, get your act together, you know, it
could be a lot worseor whats your deal,
youre a bright person lets just get over
this and move on. So, my experience has
been mostly subtle forms of judgment.
Any all-around advice?
Briggs: As soon as you accept that you have a mental illness,
you can become so much more empowered as a person. Ac-
cept that you take anti-depressants, and might need more
sleep than the average person. I have learned not to judge
anybody with or without mental illness. If you can have re-
lationships where nobody is judging each other, then doors
open up for you and relationships will get stronger.
Shapiro: The heart of stigma and discrimination, too, are thapeo-
ple arent educated about certain subjects so they assume some-
thing about that individual. My father has been incredible for me.
He recognized that I have a sickness. Hes watched me go through
the stages, and thats what has helped me get to where Im at now.
Nagpal: My dad took one of NAMIs Family-to-Family
classes, and that changed our relationship, because after
that he communicates with me differently. My goal one day
is to be able to overcome my own fears and share that [diag-
nosis of major depression] with my extended Indian family.
That is hard for me because that is a whole different culture
and dynamic beast to tackle. But you know, baby steps.
Thrive at OPRF
Thrive Counseling Center and Oak Park
and River Forest High School are partners
to insure emotional support for students.
Through our collaboration, Thrive has four
Youth Therapists, one Substance Abuse
Preventionist and one Student Advocate
working as part of the Community Sup-
port Service Program. Thrives staf pro-
vide student assessments, interventions,
referral and linkage services between
the school district and the communi-
ties of Oak Park and River Forest. Youth
Therapists run 14 ongoing group therapy
sessions at the high school in addition to
helping students on an individual basis.
Ending the silence
In the health classes at Percy Julian Middle School, as well as Oak Park and
River Forest, Fenwick and Trinity high schools, the National Alliance on
Mental Illness (NAMI) Ending the Silenceprogramming is being taught,
says Michelle Foskett, education coordinator at NAMI Metro Suburban.
It is a free, 50-minute educational presentation that teaches students
about the signs and symptoms of mental illness and the importance
of early detection and treatment. The class is co-presented by young
adults who are trained to share the story of their own mental illness and
recovery. The presentations message of empathy and hope encourages
students to actively care for themselves and for their peers, whether by
reaching out for help, encouraging a friend or family member to seek
help or by reducing stigma. Contact with a positive role model, in the
form of the young adult presenters, can powerfully change their views
of a common but stigmatized life experience. The discussion portion
gives students a rare opportunity to ask questions and learn personal
truths about mental illness. The supplemental class is ofered in health,
science or psychology classes by local teachers.
Foskett adds that approximately 20 percent of youth ages 13 to 18
experience mental illness in any given year. About 50 percent of adults
with mental illness reported that symptoms began by age 14 and 75
percent by age 24.
In real terms, at NAMI we believe the number one reason people living
with a mental illness dont get help is stigma, and we hope that this pro-
gramming can help to address that in teens by exposing them to education
about mental illness, and the resources that are available to help,she says.
KICKING IT: Pooja
Nagpal, Jefrey
Shapiro and Peter
Biggs Jr.
DAVID PIERINI/Staf Photographer
This Stigma Busting
effort is underwritten by
www.opr fcf.org
708-848-1560
www.oakpark.il.networkofcare.org
708-358-8855
4 Wednesday Journal, June 4, 2014 OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
Four years later, says Michele, while still taking SSRIs it
happened again after Julias psychiatrist told Michele, bi-
polar is the diagnosis of the decade and a trendy diagnosis
for a kid.
The psychiatrist increased a different medication (an-
other SSRI), believing that the dosage she was on was inad-
equate in treating what he thought was a unipolar depres-
sion [and] the increase, unfortunately, resulted in kindling
stronger suicidal thoughts and a suicidal attempt, Michele
says.
That hospitalization, though, resulted in a new psychia-
trist, one that made the correct diagnosis, Type II bipolar
disorder and put her on mood stabilizers, which are the cor-
rect meds for now, Julia says.
However, often life just happens, and again, Julia says
hers took a turn for the worse when at age 23 she developed
Conversion Disorder, a rare and debilitating psycho-neuro-
logical illness.
She now manages and lives with that, as well.
Stress can really mess up your body, especially if you
are hiding in your head, and you dont realize it, says Julia,
who also enjoys playing and performing music. I am still
struggling now because there is always an up and down to
this, and now I am sort of in the middle.
Family ties
On a Sunday afternoon, in their Oak Park living room,
Michele and Jim are sharing how they had dreams about
all the clean and clear, unchallenging normal things they
would face raising two girls.
Obviously, with both of us working in our careers with
people who need support, my wife in the mental health pro-
fession, and myself with people with developmental dis-
abilities, some of whom have mental health challenges, if
this could happen to anybody, I guess you could say that we
are equipped for this, says Jim, an executive VP at United
Cerebral Palsy Seguin of Greater Chicago. But, when it is
your own child, its a whole different ballgame, and we were
devastated at first, and had to really pick up the pieces and
be strong together as a nuclear family, because if nothing
else, having a good, strong and healthy, loving relationship
with each other made all the difference.
Their family life took on a life of its own, and because of
the intensity of Julias journey with depression, as a family
unit, they have become insular and isolated from friends, in
part related to the misinformation and stigma surrounding
mental illness, and the people who are living with it.
I think part of it is that we dont want to be burdening
other people with the depth of the challenges that we face
believe me Julia is brave. She has worked hard, harder than
I could ever imagine, given the challenges in her life that
she is facing and she is doing it, says Jim, likening mental
illness to an invisible disability that people still dont see or
understand.
And, still, Michele emphasizes, they have another daugh-
ter, Elizabeth, who has not been forgotten, but because of
the severity of the situation has become a silent sufferer,
in regards to her needs.
I dont even quite understand it yet what has been hap-
peningbut I think in terms of how she has affected me,
if anything, it is the absence of having a sister at times,
because I feel like she has had her own struggles, and I
have my own struggles, and what was going on with each
of us was independent from the other for a lot of our ado-
lescence, the period when we were teens, says Elizabeth,
23, a recent University of Illinois at Chicago grad, who now
works at PAWS Chicago, a nonprofit animal rescue organi-
zation.
Now that she is moving forward and working again, and
on the proper meds, Julia says that teaching Pilates makes
her body and mind feel much healthier and stable. She owns
a dog, rents an apartment in Oak Park, has a great job, and
is willing to walk through her life, as is.
Sometimes when I think I just cant do it anymore, I re-
member that I have really great parents, and a sister, a best
girlfriend, and this amazing boyfriend who has come into
my life, and is staying around, says Julia. Thinking about
the people who love me, helps me get out of my head a little
bit, and keep moving on.
STI GMA BUSTI NG
LOVING JULIA
Continued from page 1
I am still
struggling now
because there
is always an up
and down to this,
and now
I am sort of in
the middle.
Julia Haptonstahl
Family Resources
Mental illnesses can afect persons of any age, race, religion or
income. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness,
lack of character or poor upbringing. Mental illnesses are treatable
but sometimes for a family member, fnding resources and support
can be difcult.
DAVID PIERINI/Staf Photographer
CONNECTIONS: Julia Haptonstahl, lef, ofen turned to her sister, Elizabeth, during a crisis with her bi polar disorder.
This Stigma Busting
effort is underwritten by
www.opr fcf.org
708-848-1560
www.oakpark.il.networkofcare.org
708-358-8855
nCommunity Mental Health
Board of Oak Park Township
Resource Guide
Youth and Family Behavioral
Health Resource Guide
www.oakpark.il.networkofcare.
org
nIWS Childrens Clinic
www.childrenscliniciws.org
708-848-0528
nNAMI Metro Suburban
www.namimetsub.org
708-524-2582
nNAMI Family Support Group
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., 1st and 3rd
Tuesday of every month
137 N. Oak Park Ave. Oak Park
3rd foor conference room
nNAMI Parent Support Group
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., 3rd
Wednesday of every month
708-524-2582 for new location
nParenthesis Family Center
www.parenthesis-info.org
708-848-2227
nThrive Counseling Center
www.thrivecc.org
708-383-7500