Give us an F  !

 Give us an E  !

 Give us a   C  !

 Give us a   T  !

Whataya got? Imperfect.

Louder! IMPERFECT!”

Don’t mind our enthusiasm. While it’s never easy to hear that someone is having any kind of health issue, it is comforting to see someone in a powerful position confront a pressing one head on.  A mental health issue, that is. 

Said Jones to People magazine, “This is a disorder that affects millions of people and I am one of them. If my revelation of having bipolar II has encouraged one person to seek help, then it is worth it. There is no need to suffer silently and there is no shame in seeking help."

We may be caught up in the Holy Week hoopla, but we can think of only one word to express our feelings for what she said  -- Amen (cue choirs in Heaven).

This is truly what “The Movement of Imperfection” is all about. If we can talk openly about mental health issues, we can create a dialogue for support, education, and ultimately, acceptance. Imagine that?

We didn’t always think this way about mental illness. Heck, we didn’t ever think of mental illness. Or look at people who appeared to have one, for that matter. Instead, we looked away, afraid they would talk to us and make us ashamed. (“Maybe if I don’t look at him, he won’t come up to me.") But when our daughters were diagnosed with bipolar disorder and Asperger’s syndrome, we got an instant education about mental illness. We learned that millions of everyday people are affected by it. People who appear to “have it all” or be just like “everybody else,” but have to live in silence, fear, and shame.

Now that we’ve spent time in the mental health communities, we don’t understand why that has to be. It’s not like any of us are immune from mental illness. We are all, after all, just a car accident or emotional trauma away from experiencing some form of brain injury or mental illness.

Yet,  there is still so much stigma. 

Don’t get us wrong. There was a time when we were afraid of the stigma when it came to our kids. Patty worried how people would take the news about her daughter Jennifer if they found out about Jenn's bipolar disorder.“Will they not let their kids play with her?" (This despite the fact that Jennifer was gentle and caring to others.)

And Gina worried that when she started taking her daughters to see therapists for their anxiety and learning disabilities, people would judge. Though her younger daughter, Emily, didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered by it.

 “Gina, Emily mentioned something about going to see her counselor today. Is everything OK with her?”

 “Oh that, Mrs. Kravitz. She meant her financial counselor. What can I say, her lemonade stand has really taken off.”

Yes, even we were ashamed of being judged. And we’ve never, ever been suspected of being perfect. Catherine Zeta Jones, on the other hand, embodies perfection. While it would be nice to be stunningly beautiful and thin like her -- to actually seek out mirrors and not avoid them (one of the reasons our driving records are not stellar), we can’t even imagine how difficult this admission was for her . We can’t help but wonder WWTSPHD? What will the shallow people of Hollywood do? Will people be afraid to work with her? Will she not get invited to the fancy parties? Or get a crack at the best parts?

Only time will tell what the effects will be on her career.

But the effect her admission will have on those suffering with mental illness will be immediate. People all over the world may finally realize that they are not alone and no longer have to live in shame. 

That's a victory for us all.

 So Catherine, welcome to the team. We’re delighted to have you.

Give us a     C!

Give us an   A!

Give us a     T!

Give us an   H!