Whats the biggest challenge facing children with mental-health disorders?
It’s about stigma. My mission now is for people to see [Stephen] as a kid who has a mental-health disorder, just like a kid who has asthma. But it’s still a tough battle for him and many others. People are so stigmatized that they don’t get treatment. They don’t want that label. It’s also very hard because you have people who think parents use mental health as an excuse. Have those perceptions changed at all? We’re making great strides. There’s been a lot more attention now to mental health in the media. You have Jane Pauley talking about bipolar disorder. You have other people stepping forward. We need to take this opportunity. We need to get more attention in the media. We really need a national voice. How will your son react to the change of address? He is a very resilient young man. He’s been in and out of hospitals. He’s been in trouble in school. He’s been picked on and bullied. But he sticks with it. This is going home for me. I’ll have family members there. I’ll have more suppo
