We all know what the pink ribbon symbolized. I look forward to the day when we can speak as openly and seriously about mental illness on late night talk shows and rally people around mental health research and education. Let us remember that everyday, in every community, millions of Americans face mental illness. In fact, more than one in five Americans experience mental illness every year. Child psychiatric illness is an issue that touches us all.
Mental illness is real.
It is the equivalent to physical illness. Early detection and treatment are both possible and necessary. As I travel around the country talking to young people about their lives and concerns, almost all of them said that they know kids who were troubled. Most know kids who were depressed, or had attempted suicide. Some know kids who are openly discussing violence.