Rosalynn Carter

Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy's wife, has long been an advocate for mental health. She's on a tour right now talking about a new book she wrote. Here's an article about her with question and answer.

Q: The scope of the problem you describe is eye-opening: Each year, almost 60 million adults in the United States suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. How much has changed in the years you've been involved in the field?

A: What's exciting is the science and what we know about the brain and new medications and treatment. When I started in the field, people were institutionalized, and there was a belief that their productive days were gone. That's totally false. Just in the last few years, we've learned a lot about how people can recover from mental illness and lead productive lives.

That's right. We can recover, and lead very productive lives. There is a way to work with mental illnesses, especially if you honestly ask for help and work with professionals. Don't be afraid of your illness; embrace that it's part of who you are. You're going to just have to incorporate it into the image of yourself. It's not the end of the world. You'll be ok.