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Teens & Depression
HOST ON CAMERA INTRO
Over the course of a lifetime, nearly 20% of all women in America will suffer from Mental Illness. For many, this can result in a major disruption to an otherwise normal and well-balanced life. One form of mental illness that can be particularly debilitating is, Bipolar Disorder, which can lead to clinical depression, even suicide. For one young woman in South Dakota, Bipolar Disorder led her on a journey from sufferer to suffragette.
HOST V/O
There was a time when Marley Prunty Lara involved herself in the normal, day-to-day activities of a teenager. She spent time with friends - did very well in school and was a star on the debate team. But out of the blue, this healthy teenager's life would change dramatically.
MARLEY
At first we didn't know what was happening to me and I would have these severe panic attacks where I would be really nauseous and I would be pale and, you know, lose control of my thoughts and I would shake you know violently.
HOST V/O
Marley's mom Robin recalls the difficult time Marley experienced.
ROBIN
She had physical problems and we had all those checked out and she was fine. Her grades were going down and she basically missed a lot of school and for her that was a total change.
MARLEY
My first episode was an episode of depression and I went through feeling really low and fatigued and really empty and depression isn't necessarily feeling sad, for me anyway, its more of a feeling of just not feeling and feeling of numbness.
MARLEY
I went from that to feeling very manic and like I had all these things to do and you know, like there wasn't enough time in the day and I would not sleep for 3 or 4 days at a time
And the need for help progressed when I wasn't able to go to school, I couldn't focus, you know was really failing at school
ROBIN
So when Marley told me that, "Mom I don't, I'm a failure, and I don't know why I am living", that was the day that I started calling Bethesda and everywhere.
HOST V/O
Finally, the answer came when doctors gave Marley their results.
MARLEY
I was diagnosed with Bipolar when I was 15 years old.
You know when I was first diagnosed it was really sort of a relief, oh there's a name for what I am feeling, this is tangible, this is real.
NAT BYTE
Doctor - No major change in your mood or anxiety levels?
Marley - No, but I'm feeling more energy, which is good.
Doctor - Good.
HOST V/O
Dr. Paul Gluck is an obstetrician-gynecologist who has been working for years on the issue of screening women for mental illness.
DR. GLUCK
Bipolar Disorder describes a condition where a woman has very highs where they are just too gregarious and they overreact in a positive way that we would think as very happy, and then they have a lot of lows and they are just down and have very little time they spend sort of in the middle where we would say you are normal and interacting in an appropriate normal way.
HOST V/O
Treating bipolar disorder includes a number of elements.
MARLEY
I take medication everyday as part of my treatment as well as going to talk therapy every other week. So I have a psychologist and a psychiatrist.
HOST V/O
For Marley's family, worrying about the huge medical bills was an added burden.
MARLEY
Unfortunately our insurance didn't cover that treatment so my family was forced to take a second mortgage out on our home, which, you know, luckily we were able to do because a lot of families don't have that option.
HOST V/O
This first hand lesson in the cost of mental health coverage has stayed with Marley. Today this 19-year-old has taken her experiences and turned them into her life's passion.
NAT BYTE
"I know what it's like to struggle every day with the ravages of mental illness."
HOST V/O
Her mission is to fight for mental illness health coverage for those who need it.
HOST V/O
Marley's ambition to achieve equality for people with mental illness eventually led her to Washington DC.
MARLEY
We have a moral obligation to our citizens. Really this comes down to improving the lives of people and families and saving lives.
HOST V/O
Marley is taking action to help pass a bill called Mental Illness Health Parity.
HOST V/O
It's a piece of legislation that's been debated for more a decade. It would require health insurance companies to provide coverage for mental illness in the same way they cover physical illness.
HOST V/O
Ralph Ibson represents The National Mental Health Association. This non-profit believes insurance companies shouldn't discriminate between mental and physical illness.
RALPH
The parity bill really represents a piece of civil rights legislation. It's a recognition that mental illness is no different than any other illness, in fact, mental illness and physical illnesses are closely intertwined.
MARLEY
Today insurance companies are putting limits on mental health coverage in the form of the amount of days you can spend in the hospital, the amount of times you can visit a doctor, they're putting arbitrary limits on life time and annual benefits and that's unfair. Its discrimination against a class of people
HOST V/O
But with mandatory requirements coming down from Washington, some groups oppose this bill, and feel it will cause insurance rates to skyrocket. Neil Trautwein is with the National Association of Manufacturers. This organization represents manufacturing companies who say the bill would be bad for workers in the long run.
NEIL
Well, we're worried about anything that increases the cost of coverage. Our understanding of the way benefits work is that you would lower health benefits to match mental health benefits or you might lose benefits entirely and that's really the danger, that you could crowd out other benefit coverages.
MARLEY
When I come to Washington, I go to different senate and representative offices. I tell them what it's like to be a person who has Bipolar Disorder. And I know that the task may seem daunting at first, but if you start small and you do it one step at a time, the results can be, you know, magnified.
HOST ON CAMERA TAG:
For Marley, this journey has been a string of learning opportunities, each one inspiring her to make a difference. But it's important to recognize that the stigma associated with mental illness can be a real threat to that person's self-image and happiness. Doctors say that having a mental illness should not and does not define who a person is. And that there are steps that can be taken to help patients cope with this problem.
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