When it comes to fashion, I usually run about two years behind. Right as the bell-bottom jeans are no longer in vogue, I decide to buy a pair. But, hey, when it comes to the state of psychiatry and support groups today, I think I’m actually ahead of the curve!
According to three articles published in the last two weeks—”Your blog can be group therapy” at CNN.com, “‘Mad Pride’ Fights a Stigma” in the New York Times, and “Is Blogging Better Than Prozac” in Jezebel.com—we, here at Beyond Blue, and Group Beyond Blue, are on to something!!
As if we needed proof in some headlines.
The New York Times article profiled Liz Spikol, who I interviewed awhile back, and Kay Redfield Jamison’s as two examples of brave conversation about severe mental illnesses. They likened the voices of those blogging about their demons today to the gay-rights activists of a generation ago.
I was unaware of this “mad pride movement”—whose mission is to raise awareness of mental illness in our communities and to work to remove the unfair stigma attached to mood disorders today–until I read the article. But I am energized and inspired by those, like Kay Redfield Jamison and Liz Spikol, who publish very detailed accounts of their illness under their real names.

Moreover, like the CNN article suggests, Beyond Blue has become a very important support group for me: both this blog and Group Beyond Blue, the community we have grown on the social networking side of Beliefnet.
I’m not surprised that a 2005 survey by Digital Marketing Services for AOL.com found nearly half of the 600 people polled derived therapeutic benefits from personal blogging because I remember reading an Australian study a year or so ago that reported the simple act of writing about emotional experienced has been demonstrated to have positive effects of physical, mental, and emotional well-being. In fact, I learned this in the Jezebel article (forwarded to me by Lilit Marcus, thank you!):

A 2003 British Psychological Society study of 36 people suggested that writing about emotions could even speed the healing of physical wounds. Researchers found that small wounds healed more quickly in those who wrote about traumatic personal events than in those who wrote about mundane activities.

Meaning, the authors of boring blogs still have to go to therapy. But if you spill your guts onto the Internet, like I do, you don’t have to go as often. Not really. I think penning Beyond Blue makes a nice compliment to my therapy and medication regiment.
So if you need an excuse to cozy up to your computer and to read what other depressives are up to, or if you need to vent about your frustrating day, you have three recent articles to back you up now. By logging on, you’re getting healthier!
To read more Beyond Blue, go to www.beliefnet.com/beyondblue, and to get to Group Beyond Blue, a support group at Beliefnet Community, click here.