Fear, ignorance and shame

All the panelist tonight have deeply personal stories about their relationship with mental illness.

Randy Revelle, a former Seattle City Councilman and King County Councilman, told his story of mental illness in the 1970s, when insurance and doctors discriminated against the mentally ill when seeking care.

Revelle was running for re-election to the Seattle City Council when he experienced an episode of euphoric manic psychosis, a symptom of his bipolar disorder. Unaware of his behavior, Revelle endangered his daughters by swinging a fire poker around and nearly jumping off the Bainbridge Ferry before his father, a King County Superior Court judge, and wife had police take him to the hospital.

But his doctor refused to admit him, and the elder Revelle gave the doctor an offer he couldn't refuse: "Either you admit my son to the hospital or I will admit you to the King County Jail." Instead of admitting Revelle for his illness, the doctor admitted him for a bad back. But after two days of lithium treatments, Revelle's episodes ended, and he hasn't had a reccurence since October of 1977 thanks to steady treatment.

"No one -- no one -- should be ashamed about having a mental illness," Revelle said, adding that the biggest obstacles to care are fear, ignorance and shame.

"The best way to overcome [the shame] is to tell the truth to everyone who asks."