To the editor:
I am writing this letter in response to the hateful 34th Street shoutout directed at my mental illness. The shoutout, which attacked me for having bipolar disorder and for a specific manic episode I suffered last year, ended by commanding me to go to the "nuthouse."
I was initially hesitant to acknowledge this trash, but I cannot shy away from an opportunity to publicly address the palpable stigma which I and others face on campus. This shoutout is hate speech. 34th Street would never have been comfortable printing an equivalent shoutout attacking someone for being gay or black, and the fact that this one made the cut is indicative of a serious problem.
When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I originally kept it hidden. During my second hospitalization for mania, I realized that I needed to be open because there was nothing to be ashamed of. If people knowing made my life harder, then I would live life the hard way. And when my psychiatrist in the hospital told me not to be open because the stigma was unbeatable and I had a bright future ahead of me, I realized that this was a problem I had to fight.
After I heard there was a shout out about me, I was nervous that it might be something embarrassing. Then I read it and I was relieved. They tried to call me out on the one thing that I am totally secure about - my mental illness. And they did it in such a bigoted way that it justifies everything I'm fighting for. It allows everyone to see for themselves how real and ugly this stigma is.
It is ironic that this shoutout, which expressed disdain for mental health awareness activities I have helped organize, has actually galvanized reactionary efforts that are raising more awareness than those activities could have done by themselves. If you would like to get involved in mental health advocacy and promoting mental health awareness, please contact my sister Heather Berstein at bheather@sas.upenn.edu. She is the Vice President of Active Minds, a student group on campus devoted to mental health. You can also e-mail her if you want to be added to our listserv to hear about upcoming events.
Sincerely, Dan Berstein
