Thank you so much. That introduction was overwhelming and, in the most positive way, so thank you. Hi, everyone. My people. It is dishonor nor and a privilege to be here today at NAMI's national day of action.
Looking out at all of you is so inspiring. It is great to see so many people dedicated to improving mental health and the lives of others. Seeing people of awe ages from all over the country come together gives me so much hope that changes are possible.
Those of us here today know mental illness has no prejudice. It affects people of every race, age, gender, religion, and economic status. It doesn't discriminate between Republican democrats either.
That's why we are here today. We need to send a simple message to our nation's leaders, mental health matters and must be taken seriously. It is time to act for mental health and pass comprehensive mental health bills this year. We're here because groups like NAMI helped us understand that ices do matter. stories do matter. We have the power to make a difference, and we have the personal experience needed to be taken seriously. We know what it means to have our lives, or the lives of people we love get off track because of mental illness. We understand that mental illness is seen be devastating.
We also know mental illness can be treatable when we have access to appropriate, comprehensive care. I know it is largely because of our personal experience with mental illness; each of us is here today. As I l more about my own illness and the experience of others, I realize how much we all have in common, even if mental illness has made a few headlines because of my career several, there are several ways in which I have been very lucky, yet, even with access to so much, my journey has not been an easy one by any means.
During my darkest times, I didn't know alive, and I definitely didn't like myself. I had very low periods that would be so emotionally draining, that I couldn't find the strength to crawl out of bed in the morning. I was withdrawn, disconnected periods There were stretches of time where I felt nothing but shame.
I would medicate myself with drugs and alcohol, too feel normal. Not better, just normal. I didn't understand why somebody like me with all the resources and reasons in the world to be emotionally well; I couldn't find happiness. When I finally got diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it was a relief in so many ways. It helped me to start making sense of my bipolar depression and all the harmful things I was doing to cope with it.
Getting the right diagnosis didn't happen overnight. Through the process of being misdiagnosed and misunderstood, I learned how important it is to be open with your doctor, so you get to the root of what is going on as soon as possible. The journey to living well with bipolar disorder is a process for me that involved seeing a therapist, being honest with myself and others, following my treatment plan, and taking care of my victims. It requires comprehensive care.
Living well with bipolar order takes work and doesn't happen at once. There wasn't one day when the light simply came on, I said, I'm cured, I'm better. Sometimes does not work even the third medication we try does not work the best. But we owe it to ourselves to keep trying.
The reality is that you're not a car that goes into the shop and gets fixed immediately. You need ongoing maintenance. There will always be work left to do. I can only do the work now because I truly believe that I'm worth it, and today I'm so grateful for my I want to preserve and protect it.
It is my personal mission to share with others of all ages people who are children, that are fans, people that don't know my music at all, but hopefully my speech today can have some impact. It is my mission to share this with the world and to let them know there is life on the other side of those dark times that seem so hopeless and helpless.
I want to show the world there is life, surprising, wonderful, and unexpected life after diagnosis. I'm proud to say that I'm living proof that someone can live, love, and thrive with bipolar disorder if they get connected, with professional resources, and accept support as soon as possible. That's why I'm participating in the mental health listening and engagement tour, getting to meet people like you, and learning more about the issues that face the mental health community.
I hope to do my part to make things a little easier for others and to reduce the shame associated with mental illness. I want to do what I can to make things better for others by becoming the strongest and most informed mental health advocate that I can be. Today we have a chance to make history with NAMI, an organization that has been at the forefront of advancing mental health in this country for decades. We've seen increased attention to our country's broken mental health system over the past few years, but we've seen very little action.
Today our message is very clear; it is time for Congress to act for mental health by supporting the passage of a comprehensive mental health bill this year. I understand that the details around comprehensive meant at that tall health care are complex. I'm not a policy expert, in any way, shape, or form. I do know the basics of comprehensive care make good sense, common sense.
Comprehensive care means that as a nation, we step up our efforts to prevent suicide, which is currently the second leading cause of death for young adults in the United States. Comprehensive care means that if a man with mental illness gets diabetes or cancer, his doctors work together to determine what is the best approach for his mind and victims. Comprehensive care also means that when a woman leaves a psychiatric hospital, there's a process in place to make sure she gets the care that she needs, so she didn't end up back in jail, in hospitals, or on the streets, or worst of all, even death.
At the heart of it, comprehensive care means that our mental health systems reach people early, and far more often, fewer people fall through the cracks and suffer alone. I'm so proud to be here with you today; together, as mental health advocates, we can make our voices heard. Our shared message is simple, like you said, keep it simple. Support passage of a comprehensive mental health bill this year.
So go out there and make today count. Together we will make a difference as we act for mental health. Don't forget to tweet and post throughout the day. We all know that gets the word going. I'm about to right now, you know, not sitting on an important panel. I'm so proud of this community today, and I want the entire world to know that I'm proud of everyone in here, and I'm also proud of myself for getting the help that I need, and you can have that too.
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