Every Minute a Suicide is Attempted
I just completed a nearly-hour long teleconference with Michael Corbin, one of the founders of everyminute.org, a website mobilizing mental health advocates into a lobbying power in support of innovative research.
Corbin’s take: “We are a beacon of hope for mental health similar to what the Susan G. Komen or the ONE campaign are doing in their respective fields. We are the only youthful, grassroots campaign for mental health solely focused on prevention and the possibility of finding a cure through accelerating the public funding of research.
“everyminute.org exists because <the> one out of four Americans affected do not yet have a unified voice to be fairly represented when the government makes appropriations.”
I’m grateful that Michael and his business partner Jace are making the effort to change that underrepresentation. As I work to spread accurate information about mental illness, diagnosis, treatment and recovery across all strata of American culture, I’m excited that others are doing the same. Educating our communities is the first step toward eradicating profound societal challenges that include limited research into mental health causes and treatments, the lack of mental health care parity, criminalization vs. medication, and the increasing number of suicides by American youth.
I am an advocate of hope. I know the significant difference appropriate medical care and proper support systems can make in the lives of those diagnosed with a serious mental illness. I embrace the opportunity to join forces with individuals and organizations with similar agendas.
I am proud to become affiliated with everyminute.org. Like the Jed Foundation, everyminute.org is working to ensure early and effective identification, diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses in order to save lives.
How could I not be proud of those affiliations?