Breaking the silence

Sopranos actor stomps the stigma of mental illness

MY partner loved The Sopranos. I think I'd love it too but I've never got round to watching the set of DVDs. So forgive me, I wasn't all that familiar with actor, director and producer's Joe Pantoliano's work.

But like Glenn Close, 'Joey Pants' is a US actor using his celebrity to shine a light on mental illness.

His No kidding, Me Too! charity has gathered massive support in America, with the likes of Harrison Ford also speaking up and Robert Kennedy Jnr dubbing him a Martin Luther King of the movement.

I found this trio of videos interesting and inspirational so thought I'd include them here. Pantoliano is also the producer of Canvas, a film I'd love to see.

Award-winning film about schizophrenia: 'People say I'm crazy'

By Lyn Jenkins

JOHN CADIGAN made People Say I'm Crazy with the help of his sister, filmmaker Katie Cadigan, and Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker, Ira Wohl.

By filming his life for more than 10 years—from when he had his first psychotic episode at age 21 until he was well into recovery a decade later, he managed to record his story despite the cognitive and emotional difficulties created by his disease.

John says:

Jessie Close -- and her sister Glenn -- speaking up about bipolar disorder

I FOUND this video at Coming out of the dark, a blog highlighted by Frances at Brighter Futures Counselling.