March 31--Many celebrities with health issues in their personal lives raise public awareness of, and research money to combat, diseases from cancer to diabetes and beyond. But that pattern of openness and altruism wasn't so common when Patty Duke executed it.
Duke, who died Tuesday at age 69, won an Academy Award at 16 for her performance as Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker." She enthralled a generation of girls as the star of the popular TV sitcom "The Patty Duke Show," in which she played identical cousins -- the posh Cathy from across the pond and the freewheeling American Patty.
The actress had a megaphone from an early age, in other words. And she used it well.
Duke was diagnosed in 1982 with bipolar affective disorder -- then commonly called manic-depressive disorder -- a mental illness characterized by severe mood shifts. Patients suffer periods of severe depression alternating with episodes of intense overexcitement and hyperactivity.
Duke courageously revealed her diagnosis publicly. She wrote a 1992 memoir about her illness and experiences, "A Brilliant Madness: Living With Manic-Depressive Illness." For the rest of her life she worked tirelessly to boost awareness of the condition. She lobbied Congress and helped the National Institute of Mental Health push for increased mental illness funding and research.
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong illness that can be treated but not cured. It affects about 2.5 percent of American adults and takes a toll on people's relationships with friends, family and work colleagues. It also carries an increased risk of premature death, especially by suicide, if untreated.
As is true for scientists seeking to understand other mental illnesses, researchers still have much to learn about bipolar disorder. For instance, researchers still don't fully understand the role of genetics in the disease. Doctors also struggle to determine the appropriate medication and therapy for patients, depending on what phase of the disease the patient is in.
Researchers estimate that fewer than half of bipolar patients are receiving adequate treatment.The reasons for undertreatment include a lack of awareness and understanding of the disease, not only by doctors and other health care professionals but also by patients themselves.
Some patients may deny the illness because of the stigma associated with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. That stigma is a serious public health problem that is as persistent as it is destructive.
With medication and therapy, Duke managed to return to a relatively normal life.
She wanted to help others do the same. Duke's son Sean Astin described his mother as "indefatigable" in the fight to lift the stigma of bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses.
"Wherever I go on this planet, for my whole life, people would come up to me and they'd say to me, 'How's your mom?'" he told Entertainment Tonight.
Patty Duke, the actress, had a wonderful career entertaining millions in movies and on television.
Patty Duke, the mental health advocate, had an equally stellar career enlightening people about mental health issues that too often remain in the shadows.
