How A Sister's Cry for Help Led Glenn Close to Change the Way We Talk About Mental Illness | PEOPLE

Not long after Jessie Close's son, Calen, was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder - a condition that combines the symptoms of schizophrenia and mood disorders - she called her sister Glenn Close with a request.
"I called Glennie and said, 'Can you please help?' Because the prejudice against mental illness is overwhelming,'" says Jessie, 67 in this week's issue of PEOPLE. "And she did."
Jessie, who has bipolar 1 disorder, was worried about the backlash and judgments, he, along with many others who suffer from mental illness, would face. Says Jessie: "We're frightened of things we don't understand."
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How A Sister's Cry for Help Led Glenn Close to Change the Way We Talk About Mental Illness | PEOPLE
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[@dbwhite1507]

I am bipolar. My sister said to quit wallowing in misery. Wish Glenn Close were my sister. We need more understanding people in this world. I was not strong enough to not let it hold me back in life.

[@tanyaakasashadamian339]

Yes, Thank you.

[@lisaflesher]

Thank you Mrs. Close ❤️

[@YummyFoodSecrets1]

💗💞❤

[@nadege1102]

Well said, it's part of the human condition .

[@zeliamariadeabreu4414]

💖💖💖