ONE IN FIVE ARE AFFECTED BY IT???
Did you know that in America 1 in five people are affected by mental illness? That estimate does not include the family members and/or friends that are affected by their loved-ones erratic behavior. As a window cleaning service, you no doubt have been in contact with someone that is mentally ill. It could be from meeting someone on the street, more likely than not, it’s a family member or friend that has introduced you to mental illness and devastating effects it can have on one’s life.
Mental illness is a life threatening disease! While the word “disease” may be inappropriate. It’s more chemical imbalance which can be treated with medications, or therapy. But don’t think for a moment, that it’s not serious! I should know. I live with Bipolar Disorder. I am also clinically diagnosed as mentally ill!
Hello – hello is any one out there??? Was that a pin drop I heard? Of course not…because you’ve been reading or following my blog and you already know that I am living with this debilitating illness. I’m reaching out to my fellow past and present window cleaning peeps to ask for some help to bring awareness to mental health month in MAY. Each year for the last five years, I’ve held a Cartoon-A-Thon where I draw 31 cartoons of Mental Health Heroes within the mental health community. This year, I am teaming up with an informal organization called the “Lime-Lighers” to wear and encourage others to wear a lime green ribbon to show their support for mental health awareness. I would also like to ask my fellow window cleaners to help me promote the awareness online. Will you please consider becoming a sponsor for this year’s Cartoon-A-Thon? I am looking for “in-kind sponsors.” These would be people, in lieu of financial contributions, would make a contribution of another sort… Maybe, a product or cleaning service fora mental health drop-in center recovery location and do it in behalf of Mental Health Heroes and the Lime-lighters. Or make a cash donation and be a sponsor for the Cartoon-A-Thon 2012.
QUICK HISTORY OF MY MENTAL STATE
As some of you many know and not even care about…I live with Bipolar disorder. In 2004, I was hospitalized in the psych ward… I blame it all on the inhaling of Joy and Ammonia from cleaning store fronts for 25 years. Joking, of course… After I got help and started my uphill battle with mental illness, I found that I can draw more then just cartoons about window cleaning. (I started drawing cartoons about window cleaning in 1999). In the spring of 2008 “DURING” my second visit to the psych ward, I started instead of “journaling” a type of therapeutic writing, I started drawing cartoons about my stay in the loony bin. I also started drawing cartoons for the kids in the “kids psych ward.” I realized the joy it brought them. And when I got out of the hospital, I drew three cartoons about mental illness issues. From those three cartoons stemmed a website, that website caught the attention of a huge new blog network that offered me a blogging position for mental illness. And so lead to my advocacy for mental health awareness with cartoons. I called it fittingly enough: MENTAL HEALTH HUMOR. You’ve seen many of the cartoons here on the window cleaning cartoons site. But, I would love to get more of my fellow window cleaners behind this very important cause…
Please contact me at: golime (at) windowcleaningcartoons.com
