During this year’s Mental Health Awareness month I was thrilled to be selected as a “2014 Mental Health Hero” associated with PsychCentral’s popular Mental Health Humor column!  I was chosen for this honor by advocate/cartoonist/Psych Central columnist Chato B. Stewart. Chato, who has bipolar disorder, is also a married father of four. Past recipients of this award includes the International Bipolar Foundation’s very own founder Muffy Walker. 

Chato’s Mental Health Hero tradition includes his caricatures of each hero.  If you open up the link below that leads to my story, you’ll find not only Chato’s caricature of me, but a few more illustrations as well. Chato’s three young daughters drew their own pictures of me alongside my girls, which I think is really sweet.  Chato told me they get a big kick out of participating, and they’ve inherited an artistic flair for art from their talented father.  

Chato created this award several years ago and it has become an annual tradition.  What makes this year especially poignant is that over the past few months Chato has suffered from a severe bipolar depression. He almost let his labor of love fall to the wayside, but his three daughters implored him not to give it up. They love doing this special project with their dad! The fact that Chato was able to do his project is a total miracle in my eyes.

These awards are serious; yes, but they are also all in good fun. When you visit the link you’ll note that I’m part of a group of some other very special “mental health heroes” who you may be interested in learning about!  (You can nominate any mental health hero you know for this award, so keep that in mind for 2015!)

Wishing you my very best as always,

Dyane

Dyane Harwood Mental Health Hero #mhmonth2014 | Mental Health Humor.