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Carole Mikita ReportingSean Astin became an international star with his role of Sam in the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy. He is using that celebrity to bring awareness to a mental health issue affecting millions of Americans, thousands in our own state.
The disease is bipolar disorder and Sean Astin's mother, Patty Duke, was diagnosed with it in the early 80s, after many years of suffering. She is an acclaimed actress, winning an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy, but Sean and his brother experienced some very difficult days growing up.
Sean Astin: "When she had freak-outs, that was our pet name for them, freak-outs, they were catastrophic. I mean, she would crash her car into the driveway. I remember her Oscar flying across the room and slamming into the wall. I mean, she would throw things, she would beat herself in the head; she was in anguish and crying out for help."
Patty Duke told her son she was in mental pain; whether those manic episodes she described or the depressive episodes when she would spend days in bed, be lethargic or suicidal.
There were plenty of good days, Sean says. Great love in their family, memorable vacations and his mother's support of his career as an actor, director, writer. It's why he wishes to support her efforts to bring awareness to this form of mental illness.
"Unfortunately it takes an average of over ten years for people who have bipolar condition to get an accurate diagnosis, which means that it's over ten years before they start getting a treatment plan that will work for them in their life. It doesn't have to be that way. The signs of mania aren't really identified as symptoms, and do, the doctors don't have a complete picture of a person's kind of cycles to make an informed decision."
Salt Lake City is ranked twelfth in the U.S. for number of people diagnosed with depression. Sean Astin says many may be misdiagosed and recommends LearnAboutBipolar.com.
