"My personal goal with this hearing is to bring Mental Illness out of the shadows, and emphasize that conceptually, these are really “Brain Diseases”—conditions that are biological, diagnosable, and treatable.  Though the title of this hearing describes Mental Illness AND Brain Disease, I want to emphasize that they’re really one and the same."

- Rep. Myrick at a June 2006 Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Hearing on Mental Health Issues that she set up and chaired. 

In June 2006, Rep. Myrick made public that her granddaughter had bipolar disorder. Rep. Myrick’s family had been dealing with the issues that surround a mental illness, or ‘brain disease’ diagnosis for well over a decade.  In order to bring the issue to light, Rep. Myrick organized a hearing on the issue in the Energy and Commerce Committee during the summer of 2006.  Since that time, Rep. Myrick has promoted brain disease awareness with countless interviews and speeches on the topic. 

Her goal is to help change the stigma associated with brain diseases, like bipolar disorder, severe depression, and schizophrenia, so that people will see that brain disease is ultimately no different than diabetes or Heart Disease.  These diseases affect the brain, while those affect the kidneys or the heart.  She also hopes that her efforts will help those affected by brain disease- both patients and families.  More medications and treatments for brain disease are available today than at any point in our history.  These make it possible for many patients to live with depression and bipolar disorder, just like many Americans live with diabetes, arthritis, and other physical illnesses.  Of course, many patients still struggle on a daily basis to find treatment for their brain diseases, and it’s not always easy to find help.  As science improves, and as awareness efforts continue, Rep. Myrick’s hope is that more Americans with brain disease will go on to live healthy, productive lives.

If you or a family member suffer with brain disease, please use these links below as resources for information and help:

NIMH: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/

National Alliance on Mental Illness, Charlotte Chapter: http://www.nami-charlotte.org/

National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255), http://www.nimh.nih.gov/suicideprevention/sui911.cfm

Mental Health Association of Central Carolinas: http://www.mhacentralcarolinas.org/

Local Support Groups for Families of those with Mental Illness: http://www.supportworks.org/cat737.htm#Top%20of%20page