Patty Duke: The Face Of Mental Illness Originated in The 80’s – And The Meaning Behind Sean Astin’s Continued Advocacy Following Her Death
Of his mother’s, Patty Duke, struggle with bipolar disorder, actor Sean Astin said, ‘She realized that her get-out-of-jail-free card, her superpower, was to combine everything she knew about being open and honest. It’s arresting sometimes, but it’s also very compelling. We lived our lives like a hurricane was coming. You could feel the weather change. Instead of feeling like someone who was othered by society, she was lauded because of what she chose to do with it.’ Here, we break down how mental illness was viewed to its entirety, from the very beginning. We explore why Patty Duke revealing her struggle with bipolar in the 1980’s was so groundbreaking and what Astin’s continued work in advocating to bring awareness means to those struggling. And we explain the complexities people with other illnesses and disorders such as cerebral palsy may face at the hands of depression. Let’s discuss…