Patty Duke vs. Mental
Illness
Actress has spent her life keeping people talking about, and
fighting against, disease she's beaten
 (October
19, 2004) -- It's been nearly 20 years since Patty Duke told the world of her
battle with
bipolar disorder, but people still come up to tell her that they, too, are
affected by mental illness.
Most of them still whisper, Duke says, and that tells her how much work
remains to be done when it comes to combating the
stigma of mental illness.
The public's attitude toward mental illness has changed "a tiny bit," Duke
says. "I think it remains vital for people who are in a position to communicate
either over the airwaves or any of the media firsthand about it. I think that
kind of mini-crusade, if you will, has to continue, and the more of us, the
better."
Duke, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Helen Keller in 1962's
The Miracle Worker, will speak Wednesday at the Health Improvement
Collaborative's awards dinner. The collaborative, which includes leaders from
the physician, insurer, employer, hospital, government, education and consumer
sectors of health care, addresses health issues in the community.
Lynn Olman, president of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council and executive
director of the collaborative, calls Duke "a shining example of a lifetime of
success despite her struggle with mental illness. We believe that we can improve
the lives of many Tristate residents who struggle with mental health issues,
many of which remain undiagnosed."
Duke never wanted to become an advocate for people with mental illnesses, she
says, but fate - and fame - intervened.
"One of my jobs that I think is almost God-given is my ability to
communicate, and therefore I must use that to reach out to people who are in a
position that they think is hopeless. Sometimes I go from city to city to
physically show them that it's possible to live a balanced life and sometimes
it's writing and sometimes it's television interviews," she says.
"It's also important to me not to present a picture of perfection. I still
have highs and lows, just like any other person. Sad things make me sad and
happy things make me happy. What's missing is the lack of control over the super
highs, which became destructive, and of course, the super lows, which are
immediately destructive."
Duke described her struggles with mental illness, alcohol abuse and suicide
attempts in her 1987 book Call Me Anna (Bantam; $7.99).
It took 12 years of what she calls "the screaming highs and the moaning lows"
before she was diagnosed as bipolar. She still takes lithium twice a day, and
her symptoms are gone.
Duke, who now lives in Idaho, doesn't think her illness ever affected her
career.
"I'm going to be 58, and I'm a woman, and in this business, that seems to be
a bigger crime," she jokes.
By Peggy O'Farrell
Related Stories
back to
top | home
|
