Becoming an effective advocate
The ability to effectively stand up for yourself or for things that you believe in is paramount to being able to live the kind of life that you want for yourself and your loved ones. For people whose life has been drastically altered by their experience with mood disorders it is of especially great importance. Rather it be from the stigma attached to the disorder or the difficulty in finding appropriate treatment the alternative to effective advocacy is to find yourself constantly in the position of being the victim of your circumstances and the systems you find yourself interacting with.
Substantial portions of the websites of the DBSA, NAMI, and similiar organizations are devoted to teaching you how to be an effective public advovate. I won't try to duplicate what they have already said. Much gain can be had by spending some time looking at these websites and I want to really encourage you do that. I want to approach the subject from a little bit different angle.
The beginning of all advocacy is knowledge. To become an advocate for yourself you must become an expert on yourself. Know your disorder. Increase your knowledge base as much as you can. The only way to combat the misperceptions and assumptions of others is with the knowledge you have. To fight for yourself you must know what you are fighting for and what you are fighting against.
There are many levels of advocacy. One of the most important and most overlooked things you can do is to become an advocate on a personal level. Be part of the education of people in your life. You will meet many people whose ideas of mental illness are totally wrong, but they may never know that unless confronted with the reality of you. Personal advocacy begins with your family and friends, but extends into the community in which you live. You will find plenty of opportunities in your work place, your church, your school, and countless other places to say that judging people based on labels and the stigma attached to them is wrong. You will find many opportunities to say that people with a mental illness are as entitled to as effective a treatment for their problems as is anyone with a physical illness. You will find many opportunities to put to rest the assumption shared by so many that mental illness is really a character or personal failing or evidence of lack of motivation to do better. Always remember what you stand up for defines where you stand.
Being part of organizations like "Hopeworks" is another way to be an advocate. There is strength in numbers. People who make decisions are more likely to listen to more people rather than less. Share your thoughts and positions but support others in doing the same and find opportunities to stand with those who share your views and concerns. If you believe strongly and want to be heard try not to stand alone unless you have no other choice. Encourage any organization or group you belong to to take a stand on things important to you.
Encourage your organizations to network with other organizations that share the same concerns or opinions. "Hopeworks" for example, is linking up with other organizations that deal with the issue of suicide, because suicide is a vital area of concern to so many people with mood disorders. We will also support the work of such organizations as the Tennessee Health Care Campaign because of its tireless advocacy for adequate health care for all people regardless of who they are or what their needs are.
Not everything is possible, but anything you assume can't be done almost certainly won't be. Becoming an advocate is about more than what political choices you make. In the end what you choose to stand for defines the life you choose to live.
Choose well.
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