'Next to Normal' Partners with Community in Honor of Mental Health Awareness Month

Dr. Jeremy Richman, co-founder of the Avielle Foundation with his wife, Dr. Jennifer Hensel, believes that by studying the brain--in particular, the health of our brain--people can eliminate the fears and stigma surrounding those who have a mental illness.

Named after his daughter, Avielle, one of the first grade students who was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, the foundation attempts to make mental illness “visible” by studying the brain as “just another organ.”

In the past couple of years the Avielle Foundation has trained all teachers in Newtown schools in a first-aid course for brain health.

Dr. Richman’s comments were part of the Community Conversation sponsored by Two Planks Theater Company this week following a matinee performance of the emotionally-charged musical, Next to Normal, the Pulitzer Prize award winning show about a mother with bipolar disorder and the negative effects on her family.

One in four individuals in the United States are diagnosed with a mental illness. However, director Susan Halliwell pointed out that Next to Normal was the first mainstream musical to “take this topic out of the darkness”.

“The one unfortunate thing seen in this show is that there isn’t a cure,” she stated. “There is only treatment of the symptoms and people don’t often seek treatment because of the stigma attached to this illness.”

Amanda Sage, a resident at The Bridge House,  spoke after Two Planks’ production of Next to Normal about her own diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

“There’s a lot of fear about telling people about mental illness,” she admitted. “I decided, though, that maybe it would help someone else out if I started talking. I wanted to let them know, if you look around the room, you’ll see that you’re not the only one.”

Randye Kaye, an actress and mother of a 33 year old son with schizophrenia, emphasized the need to publicize the positive outcomes of those living with mental illnesses.

“We’re living in a world where untreated mental illness gets press,” she said. “We never never see treated mental illness. We need to see hope. We need to see people who have been bravely managing for years.”

Kaye recently published a memoir, Ben Behind His Voices: One Family’s Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope, to help other families in a similar situation.

She emphasized the need for love, acceptance and humor in dealing with the illness.

“Everyone needs to have a purpose,” she added.

Panelist Sally Lundy, a Monroe resident and long-time member of ADAM, agreed. “We need to start grabbing onto people’s strengths,” Lundy said.

Through grants, ADAM has sponsored several prevention programs for Monroe youth including an annual awareness forum on drinking and substance abuse for Masuk HIgh School’s freshman students and their families.

Two Planks’ Community Conversation was coordinated by Allyson Cussen, a licensed clinical social worker of Monroe Counseling Services. Since 2013, Cussen has worked part-time for the town and provided assessments, referrals, intervention and counseling free of charge.

She responded enthusiastically when asked by Two Planks’ Executive Director Brooke Burling facilitate a panel discussion. It’s no coincidence that  Next to Normal is performed in May, which is National Mental Health Awareness Month.

In addition to the Avielle Foundation, ADAM and the Bridge House, the following organizations also participated in this week’s Community Conversation: RYASAP, The Monroe Clergy Association, and NAMI Fairfield.  Music Therapy Services, LLC, Kids in Crisis, DMAS, Residency Center of Newtown and Southwest Regional Mental Health Board, Inc. ,  also supported the event.

“This is a topic that we need to continue to have conversations about,” Cussen said.

Monroe resident Maren Burling, a senior at Chase Collegiate High School, said audience members can easily connect to her portrayal of Natalie, the daughter of the woman with bipolar disorder in the show.

“People that I’ve known for awhile have come up to me and shared with me different ways that they could relate to this role,” Burling noted. “It’s interesting because the show addresses the topic of mental illness and brings to light the importance of having the community’s attention to this issue.”

Next to Normal concludes its run at the United Methodist Church, 515 Cutlers Farm Road, Monroe, on Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30 at 8 pm, and Sunday, May 31 at 5 pm. General admission tickets are $20 and may be reserved at www.twoplankstheater.org or at the door.

 

 

 

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Submitted by Newtown, CT

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