The Kennedys
KENNEDY FAMILY COMES OUT OF CLOSET
Or tries to. Closets are for clothes but recently sexual
preferences and genetic predisposition to drugs or alcohol have been making
a break for it. In an emotionally and politically heroic outing, Robert
Kennedy Jr. and family lay bare their genetic predispositions in a national
TV broadcast. Somehow the Kennedys got the absurd idea that the American
public would accept their disclosure and praise their honesty. How naive
to think truth could conquer in a country overdosing on ignorance and
stigma. Apparently their advisors got to them in the nick of time, and
doing what they do best, they advised them to clam up, make no further
references, decline to comment and retreat in the hopes they will have
some semblance of a political career left in these United States. The
sad part is . . . it was a damned good thing they were doing, or
attempting to do. A very good thing. As if they have not already sacrificed
enough as a family for this ungrateful country. If there is one thing
you should know about the Kennedy family, it is that they do what they
do on behalf of the country. Their country. Our country. We do not blame
the Kennedys, they tried, but the truth was too painful and it was systematically
rejected. As a result, thousands upon thousands will continue to suffer
and die because of their predispositions to drugs and alcohol. We cry
for the Kennedys and we cry for ourselves as a nation.
The Kennedy family is certainly "all
that" and more. Joe and Rose Kennedy started a family in what still could
be considered the land of opportunity. A family that became an institution
equally capable of taking it to the limits of triumpth and tragedy It
can be argued that "such is life" and yet most would agree that this high-achieving
family has had more than its share of tragedy. A tragedy that has impacted
on an entire nation. How much is attributable to "bad luck" or "occupational
hazard" as opposed to addictive behavior and risk taking is debatable.
This most recent fatal accident of Michael Kennedy was caused by a reckless
Kennedy family tradition, ski-football. News of his senseless death was
met by a mixture of grief, anger and bewilderment by the American People.
News coverage echoed this confusion and offered the theory that the sins
of the father were visited upon the children. Indeed, their dangerous
behavior can be traced back to the family patriarch. Joe Kennedy, businessman,
millionaire, ambassador, rum-runner and womanizer. People naturally find
it confusing when witnessing the extremes the Kennedys swing back and
forth between. The capacity to do enormous good obscured by scandalous
behavior. Drug addictions, alcoholism (also a drug, though not socially
regarded as such) and reckless behaviors (illicit affairs and dangerous
sports). Americans tend to notice tragedy and aberrant behavior in high
profile cases but what of the tragedies impacting ordinary people? People
who may not come from an American institution but whose heart-rending
tragedies are every bit as painful. Your neighbors, co-workers, friends,
family or fellow Americans you brush elbows with going in and out of the
supermarket. Millions of Americans suffer from mood and anxiety disorders
at some time in their lives. Those with a mental disorder such as bipolar,
experience mood swings from very high (resulting in risk taking without
fear of consequences) to very low (resulting in depression and suicidal
thoughts). These mood shifts between two extremes or "poles" are termed
"bipolar" in psychiatry and it is high time we demystify this term. Sufferers
of bipolar often use alcohol or drug stimulants to try and control
their mania (high mood). Therefore, addictive behaviors often develop
in an unknowing attempt to self-treat an underlying mood disorder. The
good news is, there is a treatment available. The bad news is, only a
fraction are correctly diagnosed by a professional who can administer
it competently. Four extremely important facts to know are: 1)
The person suffering is in no way to blame. 2) Antidepressants
are not addictive. 3) The feeling of contentment an antidepressant
produces is what people normally experience when they're healthy and their
mood-regulating neuro- chemicals are working properly. 4)
Antidepressants do not take away ambition or creativity. In fact, they
stop depression from interfering with ones life so normal responsibilities
can be taken on and success achieved. The public and professionals alike
must educate themselves to avoid misconceptions and bring this illness
out of the dark ages and into the light of recovery.
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