Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is October 4-10, 2009. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) does not mention Bipolar Disorder Awareness Day on the 2009 MIAW web page.

“In 1990, the U.S. Congress established the first week of October as “Mental Illness Awareness Week” (MIAW) in recognition of NAMI’s efforts to raise mental illness awareness. Since 1990, mental health advocates across the country have joined together during the first week of October to celebrate.

MIAW is NAMI’s premiere public awareness and public education campaign and link NAMI’s 1,100+ local affiliates across the country.

MIAW has become a tradition in NAMI. It presents an opportunity for all three levels of NAMI – national, state and local – to work together in communities across the country to achieve the NAMI mission through outreach, education and advocacy.”

Source: NAMI

Bipolar Awareness Ribbon

In previous years, Bipolar Awareness Day was slated for the Thursday of Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), which would be October 8, 2009. However, I cannot find any mention of this on the NAMI website and they are the sponsors for MIAW.

As I have said in the past, one day is simply not enough time to educate others about bipolar disorder. One day isn’t enough time to reduce stigma through awareness and education. Regardless, that one day isn’t mentioned this year. How can we increase awareness when the sponsor doesn’t even mention it.

Don’t get me wrong. I support NAMI and I am grateful for their continued efforts. However, the fact that Bipolar Disorder Awareness Day (BDAD) isn’t even mentioned is disheartening. One day isn’t enough, but is that one day gone now?

I firmly believe that Bipolar Disorder Awareness should receive more than one day-it deserves a full month. This is why I started Bipolar Disorder Awareness Month in February 2009, which will continue in our second annual Bipolar Disorder Awareness Month in February 2010.

Bipolar Disorder Awareness Month garnered a great deal of support in 2009 and I hope that 2010 will be even bigger. Working together, we can increase awareness of bipolar disorder-symptoms, myths, and facts. We can dispel the image that the media has created by exposing the truth about this disorder. Stigma can be reduced greatly through education and awareness and I intend to, with the help of others, work hard to make Bipolar Disorder Awareness Month internationally known.

February is still months away, but there is much work to do before then. If you would like to volunteer, please contact support@allaboutbipolar.com.

How can I help? We need:
New banners
Fact sheets
Personal stories
eBook about bipolar disorder
Articles and letters to send to local papers to increase media coverage
And more.

If you are willing to donate your time in any way or have ideas for Bipolar Disorder Awareness Month, please contact support@allaboutbipolar.com.

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5. No Kidding, Me Too! Celebrities talk about mental illness.