Mental Illness

My name is Rich Patricia and for the past 13 years I have been employed as a high school television, radio & digital media in New Jersey. After being in the classroom for so long, I decided to work on my own film with a subject that was very close to my heart. My film, “Strive for Happiness,” is a film about my life growing up and the lives of other’s who have lived with or cared for someone who suffers from a serious form of mental illness. During my adolescent years, I cared for my own loved-one who suffered from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. My life growing up was not an easy one yet it is probably similar to many other people’s lives throughout the country who are dealing with “loved ones” suffering from a serious form of mental illness. I can not express how thankful I am for people like you who speak publicly about the illness and the struggles so many have faced. There is unfortunately so much stigma that still exists surrounding the illness and it is so important for people like yourself to speak openly about mental illness especially since you have a larger podium than most of us and can make a tremendous difference by educating others about the illness and hopefully make others more aware of the illness in general and make a move towards reducing the stigma that continues to exist today. My hope is that this film has the ability to reach a larger audience and can hopefully help others who are dealing with issues similar to those in the film. I would appreciate any help that you can possibly provide in getting the word out about my film. I really appreciate any help at all. Word of mouth is the best way to spread the word especially through influential people and organizations like yours. My website is located at www.striveforhappiness.com and my email is richardmpatricia@yahoo.com. Sincerely, Richard M. Patricia Filmmaker, “Strive For Happiness”