Insanity Defense: Psychopaths

I wanted to share this before we discussed the prison side of the criminal justice system. It's only tangentially related, so I didn't post it as additional reading. I think the article is a good read regardless.

How to spot a psychopath:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/may/21/jon-ronson-how-to-spot-a-psychopath

"I wondered if sometimes the difference between a psychopath in Broadmoor and a psychopath on Wall Street was the luck of being born into a stable, rich family."

September Event Update

We have some awesome social justice opportunities coming up! Please join us if you can, and spread the word!

Thursday, Sept 17th- Take Back the Night!, Stotler Lounge
6:30-7 Rally 7-7:30 March
Just Read Portion: 7:30-8:30 - Coffee and Discussion/Debriefing @ Memorial Union Cafe (this is the same time as the speak out, if you wanted to attend that)
Take Back the Night is a national movement created to raise awareness about violence against women in our society. At the rally, keynote speaker, Kelley Lucero, with The Shelter will share her story. Following this, we will storm the streets as we march through campus raising awareness and visibility! To conclude the evening, there will be a Speak-Out to give survivors of rape and sexual assault a chance to speak out about their experiences. Join us as we shatter the silence to end the violence!

Monday, Sept 28th - Kristen's Story
7pm, Jess Aud
Just Read portion: directly following speaker - Discussion @ location TBA (Berg? It's close.)
"Kristin's Story" is a mother's tale of her daughter's rape and subsequent suicide. A vibrant 20-year-old, Kristin, committed suicide shortly after she was raped by a friend in 1995. Her mother, Andrea Cooper, now shares her daughter’s tragedy with college students across the country in order to educate and inspire others to get help.

Erin and I are also compiling a list of documentaries we'd like to watch. Let us know if you're interested, and we can find days that work for everyone.
-Stephen Fry's Secret Life of a Manic Depressive
-Stephen Fry's Last Chance to See

MORE TO COME - Also, add your own stuff to the list. :)

7/30 Mental Illness in the Media

Mental Illness in the Media
July 30th, 7pm Ellis Library 3G61

Please read the NAMI article, and then pick a few articles from each category.

Facts:
**What is mental Illness – NAMI

Half of Us (Specifically aimed towards college students)

Stigma:
Called Manic Depression or Bipolar Disorder Stigma Persists

No Halloween Psychos

Black Men and Depression (video)

ZAMBIA: Mental illness sufferers shunned and isolated

Parallels Between Mental Illness and Sexual Violence Advocacy

Pop Culture/Media:
Target Women: Medicine (video)

Blogging Against Disablism: Bloody Torchwood

Harry Potter & Mental Illness

Britney Spears, Mental Illness and the Tabloids

Just Watch (pop culture):
Wednesday July 29th, 6pm-11, Amy's Apartment
This is a list of episodes I think would be good examples, all are about an hour long. We don't have to watch everything, whatever people are interested in or what we have time for.

Torchwood: Adrift

Monk: Mr Monk Takes His Medicine

Mental: Manic at the Disco

The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive (Stephen Fry)

House: Simple Explanation


Discussion Questions:
1. What are the stereotypes you have heard associated with mental illness? Does society have varying levels of “acceptability” for different mental illnesses? In what ways is this stigma perpetuated?
2. What are common themes about mental illness in the media? How realistic is it? How do these portrayals increase/decrease stigma?
3. Telling real life stories of mental illness is theoretically one way to combat stigma. How important/effective do you think this approach is? How does it change your perception of someone to learn that they have a mental illness?
4. How might these stereotypes affect people's willingness to seek help?
5. What role does mental health play in our individual fields? How does it related to education, feminism, genocide, sustainability, etc?
6. Working with social justice issues can take an emotional toll, or cause burn out. What can we do for self-care?

Mental Illness in Pop Culture

For our July 30th meeting we'll be discussing the stigma surrounding mental illness and how it is portrayed in the media. Although you're probably familiar with many pop culture examples, here a list of suggested shows/movies to watch:

Mental

House: Simple Explanation

Monk

United States of Tara

Movies: Girl Interrupted, A Beautiful Mind, The Hours, Rain Man

You don't need to watch everything, but just try to get a feel for the way the mentally ill are portrayed. When watching these, consider the ways in which it could increase/decrease stigma. I'll post the related articles closer to the date of the meeting.