
Educate yourself about mental illnesses that afflict millions around the world and help eradicate the shame and stigma, which compound the pain & suffering of the victims and their families. Some examples of these diseases are:
• Anxiety & Panic Disorders
• Bipolar
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) etc. etc.
Information on how these mental disorders impact the daily lives of their victims is at the click of your mouse.
The following poem, which is based on an actual incident that I observed at our local market one afternoon, provides a glimpse into how society generally views mental illness and treats its victims.
Incident on Main Street
At the vegetable market, on Main Street,
a slight dark-skinned man laughed
& spoke loudly in Spanish.
He laughed a happy-sounding laugh
& talked about Chile & England—
countries that his captive audience
doubted he’d ever visited or lived in.
The man continued to talk & laugh—
talk loudly & laugh a happy-sounding laugh
as a young female cashier to whom he now directed
his monolog smiled & nodded politely—
& the mostly male co-workers spoke
amongst themselves in Spanish
& laughed
& laughed
& laughed—
& called him, loco.