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This week on Healthwatch, we'll be talking about issues that affect our mental and emotional well being. Mental health - and especially mental illness - is a topic we sometimes don't feel comfortable discussing. There's a stigma associated with mental illnesses like depression, bipolar disease and schizophrenia, so our inclination may be to hide these problems if someone close to us is suffering.
But
Dr. Eric Nestler, chairman of psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says these diseases are biological and genetic, just like heart disease and diabetes. Instead of being quiet about it, he says we should face it directly and talk about it. Mental illness isn't something that happens because of personal weakness or poor choices, so don't make accusations or be judgmental with family members dealing with these diseases.
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June 2005
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