Should politicians and celebrities see it as their responsibility to share the specific details of their mental illness or mental disorder diagnosis in order to help reduce the prejudice surrounding these conditions?
That’s the question Torrie Bosch asks over at Slate and arrives at this conclusion — yes, it is a politician’s duty and responsibility to offer full disclosure about their mental health concerns.
But I think Bosch is missing a key component here. When in the throes of a full-blown episode (whether it’s bipolar disorder, depression, or something else), one shouldn’t be making any life-changing decisions or decisions that could forever alter one’s future career.
While it’s easy to believe that politicians and celebrities are something special, underneath their public persona beats the heart of an ordinary person — someone who is entitled to his or her privacy. Especially for health or family concerns.
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I agree with your first point — while it would be admirable for Jackson to help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, it is not his responsibility to do so.
I think you’re wrong on the second point, though. Constituents have a reasonable expectation to be informed of anything that is actively preventing an elected representative from fulfilling his official duties. (If Jackson were an athlete or entertainer, I would agree with you; those people have no responsibility to the public.)
We don’t need to know what’s happening in Jackson’s therapy or what medication, if any, he’s on. Those specifics can and should be kept private. But his constituents deserve to know (1) what the issue is, (2) when (or whether) he’ll return to work, to whatever degree that can be safely predicted, and (3) to what degree his condition will impact his ability to fulfill the duties of his office on an ongoing basis.
Ben -
I don’t know if you have any experience with Mental Illness. When a person is in an initial crisis – especially if it is the first time and they have not got a diagnosis or medication stabilization yet, Those questions cannot be answered. Just as a Heart Patient cannot give exact details, or a Cancer Patient. He is ill at the moment and when there is further news – it will be supplied. Get off his back folks,Have some compassion. You will get more info when they have it!