David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Do You Know Who Jessie Close is?
Dr. Deborah Serani
March 7, 2011
Jessie Close didn't know she was living with a Mood Disorder until she was 47 years old. Up until then, the younger sister of Hollywood legend, Glenn Close, endured "depressions, suicide attempts and alcoholism for nearly as long as she can remember."
While on a quest to accurately diagnose behavioral changes in her teenage son, Calen, Jessie found answers to long-asked questions regarding her own life experiences. She discovered that she was experiencing Bipolar Disorder. Her son, meanwhile, learned he was living with Schizoaffective Disorder.
Jessie shared this information with her brother and sisters, and bit by bit they traced the heritage lines of mental illness on both sides of the family. The discovery of mental illness didn't make them feel ashamed. In fact, just the opposite. It brought light to family stories and historical accounts. It made sense.
Over the last few years, Jessie Close has taken her personal life journey public. Together with her son, Calen, now in his 30's, her daughter, Mattie, her service dog, Snitz, and her actress sister, Glenn, she is helping bring awareness about mental illness. And debunking stigma along the way.
BringChange2Mind was created by Glenn Close in response to stigma her sister, Jessie, and her nephew, Calen, experienced. The message on the website is a powerful one, and I share it below:
Dr. Deborah Serani
March 7, 2011
Jessie Close didn't know she was living with a Mood Disorder until she was 47 years old. Up until then, the younger sister of Hollywood legend, Glenn Close, endured "depressions, suicide attempts and alcoholism for nearly as long as she can remember."
While on a quest to accurately diagnose behavioral changes in her teenage son, Calen, Jessie found answers to long-asked questions regarding her own life experiences. She discovered that she was experiencing Bipolar Disorder. Her son, meanwhile, learned he was living with Schizoaffective Disorder.
Jessie shared this information with her brother and sisters, and bit by bit they traced the heritage lines of mental illness on both sides of the family. The discovery of mental illness didn't make them feel ashamed. In fact, just the opposite. It brought light to family stories and historical accounts. It made sense.
Over the last few years, Jessie Close has taken her personal life journey public. Together with her son, Calen, now in his 30's, her daughter, Mattie, her service dog, Snitz, and her actress sister, Glenn, she is helping bring awareness about mental illness. And debunking stigma along the way.
BringChange2Mind was created by Glenn Close in response to stigma her sister, Jessie, and her nephew, Calen, experienced. The message on the website is a powerful one, and I share it below:
"1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. Yet, for many, the stigma associated with the illness can be as great a challenge as the disease itself. This is where the misconceptions stop. This is where bias comes to an end. This is where we change lives. Because this is where we Bring Change 2 Mind."
To learn more about Jessie Close and BringChange2Mind go here.
