Talking About Invisible Illness - Mental Illness: Max Silverman at TEDxBatesCollege

Max Silverman of Tarrytown, N.Y., is a junior with an interdisciplinary major that combines sociology, politics and education. The founder of the Bates chapter of Active Minds, a national organization dedicated to raising campus awareness of mental health and stigmatization, Silverman will devote his TED talk to this topic, underscoring the importance of understanding mental illness as biological.

[@lindachandler2349]

So true. I'm so grateful that mental health is now been spoken about. I was born 1961, diagnoses bi polar at 40, and now 56. The stigma and lack of support ruined my self esteem. I felt like a freak.

[@lindachandler2349]

My daughter is a psychologist and I'm proud to say has worked towards ending the stigma of mental illness.

[@noi5emaker]

At 1:54 did anyone else also know where this was going? Nobody sends you flowers or hugs you when you're depressed. Max, you were the best person to give this talk. Thank you.

[@lanza4534]

Max Silverman - you are a courageous and wonderful young man. Thank you for taking the lead to bring this message to your community and thank you to your amazing mom and entire family for sharing your personal pain in order that others may benefit. It's truly an inspiration to see one family making such an impact on this national tragedy of denial of mental illness. It is true that we simply don't know how to have the conversation, but people like you and your family are lighting the way.

[@Mark-fy9iu]

I have a mental illness and it hurts. It hurts not only me, but many of those around me. I stopped taking antidepressants 12 years ago as I felt they only made the matter worse. I don't drink alcohol or use drugs, but I self medicate with cigarettes and sometimes act out in shameful and regretful mannerisms. I wish there was a diagnosis for what I am hiding inside. There were a couple/few times that I was left longing that I could ever speak about the topic as you did. You're a real brother!

[@spookieolive]

[do not feel the need to read this, i just need to vent and this video brought it to me] i dropped out of school because i have chronic mental illnesses, and i was called so many things. my own parents called me lazy, stupid, and told me i was waisting an opportunity thats "so easy to accomplish" that i would regret every day as an adult. i was in a 3 year relationship where he took advantage of my disorders. he was manipulative and would gaslight me with things like "do you even have depression?", "no that's not a panic attack. you're just exaggerating. you just freaked out a little.", etc.. it got to a point where i questioned my own sanity every single fucking day because i didn't understand why i was so incapable of doing basic things yet i was "healthy" since i didn't seem ill to others. there are days where i'm bedridden because i have so low energy that i can barely move or even think, but "mental illness isn't a disability, it's just having trouble emotionally." just ughghghhh idk how to word it it's just so fucking frustrating and i'm so glad someone who's neurotypical is using his privilege to speak out about this because i know damn well just getting on that stage would be impossible for me.

[@tvkid43]

I suffer from severe anxiety disorder, OCD and other things. I am working to make a website for high school students about mental health awareness using short films about different illnesses. I already filmed my story and am now working to raise funds for another short film for the website. I hope to help others who suffer from mental illnesses and continue the fight to end the stigma. I'm very glad I got to hear this story.

[@raysimpson8494]

What you are doing sounds great. We at MIEACT.org.au utilise lived experience (live talks and short films) to educate people here in AUstralia.

[@s.p.a.r.k.l.e.s.]

Good for you. It takes a lot of courage to state these things, but by doing that you give hope to others who suffer in silence.

[@tvkid43]

Pharmakon I've been there and I want to help anyone I can. It breaks my heart when I know people are suffering.

[@Just-Darcy]

I have anxiety and OCD too, and I am a teenager! I will definitely use your website.

[@tvkid43]

AGactress14 Thank you. Right now all I have is a Facebook group. I'm working on some details so I can start fundraising soon for my next short film about drug abuse which I plan to use for the website. After I have a few films for the website I will fundraise to make one. I want to have some material ready for the website before I begin. If you want to join the Facebook group you are more than welcome too. Here is the link facebook.com/pages/In-Our-Minds/710752465621164

[@yvonnecantrell8849]

This is one of the most clear and cohesive talks i have listened to about what it's like to live with mental illness. You a great ally. I am bipolar and have recently had my coming out of sorts. I refused to be pushed in invisibility to make others comfortable. I started a Facebook page that shares my everday life of being a person with bipolar. My writings resonate with people who are not ready to be visible. My goal is to give a TED TALK and to become more of an advocate for those who afraid to get help and gain self acceptance.

[@Squiddles17]

This honestly made me cry for the first time in almost a year this is so powerful, this is what i wish I could have put into words.

[@jtosety]

Thank you so much for doing this for your brother and everyone else with mental illness. I struggle with depression and even I can't always give myself a break when I don't have the mental strength left to pick up a telephone, much less dial a number and figure out how to ask for help. It's like a man with two broken legs climbing a staircase and seeing himself as weak because what takes everyone else less than a minute took him half an hour and he gave up less than halfway to the top. Thank you for being the voice of those who lack the courage or strength to speak up for ourselves

[@sophia-sm2ne]

thats so accurate

[@joycerickenbrode7383]

Powerful. Profound. Relevant. Thank you Max for your non-judgmental lens, for being an ally and an advocate. #EndStigma

[@nursevaldez]

Thank you for being our voice :)

[@CarolGasses]

Excellent presentation! Moving the awareness and education needle forward one presentation at a time. Thank you.

[@franhouston]

wowow.. thank you so very much for being a voice for us.. eloquent and powerful..

[@timjurney]

thank you for the honesty. this is a powerful and beautiful act of storytelling.

[@destinees8887]

This talk is really amazing. Thank you for speaking up!

[@anhpam9205]

Max, an excellent talk, very moving!!You're a great speaker. Good for you and best of luck with your continuing dedication and devotion to this cause.

[@krisrhood2127]

I remember crossing a street that I was really scared to cross during Pride Month. That's something to REALLY be proud of

[@mridusharma8311]

My friend, you have spoken about one of the most crucial yet least attended issues. I salute you for saying it out loud that how we differentiate a physical illness from mental illness, when undergoing through any of them is equally NORMAL. Your brother clicks pictures that heals me in a beautiful way. Let's not just be inspired by this gentleman, and do our best to do away with this sickening stigma. I am lucky to have watched this video and get motivated by you! Keep it up and thank you!

[@kpkliny9268]

Eli's story is my son's Shane's story to the exact! My son is 10 and while in 4th grade he attempted to take his life twice. We had no idea what to do. Shane has been hospitalized three times for mental illness and it is a journey. God bless Max and his family for supporting Eli and his story is so inspiring. I hope Shane will have the same outcome as Eli.

[@theodoreogaziechi8739]

It's so real. It saddens me that some lack empathy, this could happen to anyone, family member or very dear friend. Lend a helping hand, avoid stigma and with love, you can lift someone out of mental torture

[@Chamelionroses]

This is still issue with invisible illnesses including mental health in 2019. Anxiety to depression some even don't have the money in poverty or boarderline poverty without ability to gain even insurance to help pay.

[@nicktheveganchick]

I don't suffer from any mental illnesses but I do have two invisible illnesses and it really is true - if someone doesn't SEE something, or can't comprehend what something is going through, very few people will take the time to understand the situation. I guess it's easier to be judgemental and turn away than to learn what someone might be going through. Thank you so much for sharing your journey and your family's.

[@ishyreddi13]

Chronically Hopeful a mental illness can be an invisible illness. I’m on the autistic spectrum with ADHD, but I also have major depression, anxiety, and possibly BPD. I had accommodations while in school and barely survived. I cannot work on-site or in a fast-paced environment (It has been done before and it has never lasted long. My sleeping patterns are irregular and I get more agitated / irritated even from the smallest triggers. My energy comes and goes or would drop significantly without warning. Not to mention I have some memory problems ( I’d forget things like a person’s name, amount of vitamins I’ve taken, or food measurements). But my family and everyone else didn’t care. All that mattered to them was graduating and getting a job. I’ve suffered with long-term unemployment and I got blamed for it!! Or it would be implied or emphasized that I’m being spoiled or lazy. When I ask for assistance I’d get scoffed at and berated.

[@mulliganstew72]

Wonderful speech. Thank you for getting up and talking to us about this. I think disabilities in general should be included in the statement about non discrimination. Calling out mental illness specifically will alienate people who have other invisible illnesses. I have And invisible disability and it’s so frustrating. I was bullied at work because of it, before going out on leave and now I am too sick all the time to hold down a job. However if I was starting a family or having a baby I wouldn’t be questioned whatsoever on the absences. I’m also discriminated by medical professionals, friends and family, and really other associates I do business with him have to cancel on because I am unable to function due to illness. I get told to drink more water all the time. Pray, and stop stressing as if that is the reason I’m sick. It’s blasphemous.

[@steffiaronsonkarp4374]

Beautifully done! I can't thank you enough.

[@laurasturniolojohnson]

Thank you and God bless you and your family---My family and I relate!

[@xAnxedx]

I got kicked out of college because I was taking time off cause I was mentally ill. I don't think it's fair cause if I was pregnant and on maternity leave or had cancer they would of made exceptions. They said I was a really good student but yet said I was not welcome back. The support isn't there I was told the waiting list is 6 months.

[@2ambaby198]

Glen Glen find a new college

[@mlkkk629]

Hope you have found peace of mind and joy 💕.

[@ginnyoong3438]

Great speech done! I hope that your brother and your family are doing fine! You have my support in removing the stigmatisation on mental illness!

[@katialawton8640]

Thank you for sharing this...

[@vipulnayak83]

A Very very nice talk...Great...

[@dspirit2012]

Thank you so much for your compassionate, well informed talk. My sadness for the absurd comment linking personality, mental illness and Darwinian theory. There is a great deal of evidence supporting varied physiological, genetic and situational contributors to psychiatric disorders. Besides that there is more we don't know about the brain and the mind body connection versus what we do know!

[@jack_the_rip_off6315]

I am a college student and lost my focus to the point that I can't read anymore. I grew up with my parents thinking I am either stupid or lazy, but I am pretty sure I have ADD. So I went to get evaluation to see if I need mental help. But I wish I knew it when I was younger because my parents thought I wan't disciplined enough, now I am failing class and I am emotional unstable because I need help immediately to get treatment. I hate it so much because if i knew I could of gotten better grade, not waste money on tutors for Sat and still get terrible scores. I wish I knew it long time ago and no one is supportive except for my boyfriend, but I almost lost him because of this illness.

[@AllieOk]

How are you doing now? Are things better?

[@karenterrell8843]

EXCELLENT video!

[@justinholloway5359]

I thank you for this Max Silverman. I have been diagnosed with bipolar, ADHD, GAD and a few others, much like your brother. The stigma behind it is baffling. I lost almost all friends literally overnight. It's interesting how one can easily believe that a pancreas can stop producing insulin, but a chemical imbalance in the brain is so hard to believe! Again, thank you very much for this, hope your brother is doing well!

[@ben_s73]

Thank you!

[@jaypajarito7146]

I'm a true ally of you my friend have said it spot on I cannot thank you enough for what you have done in this talk max Silverman is there anybody who has his contact info ?

[@stevethomas74]

Superb talk!

[@robertcollins5606]

Others and myself are walking to London UK from a little known town called Kidderminster (Worcestershire, UK). Some 130 miles to raise awareness of the need to get improvements regarding young peoples mental health. I know the walk is 1000s of miles across the pond but the message is still the same. More needs to be done for our young people. They are our future and most importantly their our their future We lost so many in two wars and those in the USA lost a generation in Vietnam Take care and stay safe. You may say ask, why is this British bloke saying all this. The truth is I lost my beautiful boy at the age of 16 and he was failed was those who were getting paid to help and protect.

[@Cole_fn1]

so true

[@alliterati1]

I lost a full academic scholarship because of depression and anxiety. At the time I was feeling unable to get the help that I so desperately needed. I still struggle with internal stigma and I feel strange when I'm going to see my therapist or psychiatrist. I'm afraid to tell people too...and with reason...I get tired of being told I don't think positively enough or that I think too much.

[@fox-fluffl9002]

This is the sad thing about society. Mental illness is a real thing, but if you say anything people treat it like "Oh, you'll get over it.", "Just think positively", and my personal favorite: "People with less than you are happy, why are you unhappy?" Most people don't understand the feeling of pure hopelessness, self-hatred, and sadness. They don't understand the feeling of fear I get when I have to get up to do anything in class. Turn in a paper, grab a calculator, ask for help... Nobody except my friend (who goes through something very similar) understands and is there when I feel like my life is worthless and I'm a mistake to even exist... The feeling of drowning in your own mind, wanting to die, but striving to survive and push through to the light you can't even see. The fear and sick feeling that wells up as each episode feels worse and worse, the fear that one day I won't be able to find my way back to the surface...

[@krisrhood2127]

This is where you find out who the worthwhile people are

[@The.ender.man.king.1pr0]

Amen!

[@krisrhood2127]

I often think that we need 24 hour warm lines and that the contributions of people with mental illness and other disabilities are usually ignored

[@lindachandler2349]

I'm now Loud and Proud to be bipolar.

[@jacksonoaks4438]

It's interesting that it's students in middle school, high school, and college that struggle with depression and are diagnosed at those ages. It's also interesting that medication for depression is serotonin boosts. Even more interesting is that stress, sleep deprivation or oversleeping, eating junk food and lots of sugar and eating caffeine, and drugs and alcohol, all cause serotonin deficiencies. Sound like college? Maybe before we medicate people we should adjust our schooling to reduce stress, encourage healthy eating and exercise, and productive career work instead of forced classes. I've been studying this for quite some time now and this is the conclusion I've come to. If anyone has any comments or opinions feel free to comment.

[@betagamma3152]

Epigenetics plays a large role in mental illness as well. The survivors of the shoa went through a period of extreme stress which changes things within the DNA. The offsprings of survivors carry within their biology remanents of this stress, which can manifest as mental illness. In other words, extreme trauma in not something that is simply forgotten.

[@Chamelionroses]

One has to be diagnosed to get help for illnesses except can one afford costs financially to treat an endless illness?

[@mhawestchester]

Powerfully conceived and presented. Those who have seen it, here at MHA, are moved by your decision to take this on and fight the good fight against all that keeps people from getting help. Help is out there. Help is available. One that is reachable 24 hours a day is The 24-Hour National Suicide 
Prevention Lifeline:
1-800-273-TALK (8255) 
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org Thank you, Max!

[@Shyguyexplores]

MHA Westchester In this presentation, Silverman shows the failures of America's mental health system. The reason is, because America's mental health system earns more money as people's problems worsen. If a child gets better and solves his problems, the field doesn't make any more money from him. If however the youth begins fighting with his parents again, then the mental health field will make more money off him.

[@SuhendraLie]

How many ACE does your brother have? Childhood trauma?

[@Vaughnmateee]

Is this the Dicemans son?

[@endurametrics7013]

I'm a bit troubled by this. As someone who has suffered from depression and anxiety and the isolation this causes, I appreciate Max's desire to destigmatize an illness that we struggle with in isolation. Sometimes I wish people truly knew how hard it is to struggle with these feelings every day. However, there is that risk of creating another class of people; another victim group or a special minority class deserving of special considerations. We don't judge people by the color of the skin or their religion or their sexual orientation or those intrinsic qualities that have nothing to do with their character. But at some point, you have to judge somebody for something. There has to be standard somewhere. You have to judge behavior. If I don't show up for work, I can't expect my employer to grant me a special exemption because I suffer from depression. If I get fired, it's not because I was I'm the victim of discrimination. If you want to go down that road, you could make an argument that the entire prison population - everyone who willingly commits a crime they know is socially destructive and will cause them and others harm - is suffering from mental illness, or a learning disability, or social factors beyond their control or something somebody can diagnose. Do we still hold them accountable because they happen to be mentally ill? Pedophiles do what they do because they're mentally ill. ...etc. Even though I struggle every day with who I am, and try and often fail to change or even be the best person I can every day, I don't want to be identified with a victim group. That type of thinking is insidious and, ultimately, more destructive. It gives you a cop-out to not own up to those things about how your act that are counterproductive or even destructive. Yes, it is harder for me, but the onus is still on me to fit within the behavioral expectations that society places on me. That's how it should be.

[@callumtrickett4253]

its not invisible its just some people show it in different ways

[@loganselkirk3074]

Callum- the invisibility is based on the fact that many people will assume that you do not have an illness.

[@callumtrickett4253]

doesn't make a difference it still there

[@loganselkirk3074]

callum trickett It is still there, but I think the main difference is what people attribute your behavior and functioning too. Based on when people have known me in their life they'll either think I'm a complete fuck up or a competent person. The only difference is my level of depression symptoms. Also once people find out I have depression some tend to treat me differently, especially if they learn that I've had inpatient care.

[@niaj6912]

it is invisible because you can't see it you can see the emotional effects it can have but you can't see it physically. Like if someone had cancer, you would be able to look under a microscope and see the cancer cell but with a mental disorder no matter how hard you looked, you still wouldn't be able to find anything wrong with them physically just mentally and through their emotions . That is what he meant by it is invisible.

[@Mariokong059]

Probably posted this to get subs but epicly fails

[@shaneclauer4939]

top forced drugging