Mental health advocate asks Psycho Donuts to support, not ridicule

From PRNewswire:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Oscar Wright, chief executive officer of United Advocates for Children and Families (UACF), and Kipp Berdiansky, co-owner of the Psycho Donuts shop, participated in an interview and debate July 22 on KTVU's Bay Area People with host Rosy Chu.

Oscar Wright released this statement July 23:

"As the former regional administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, I appreciate an individual's goal to live the great American dream and start a business, but profits should not be made at the expense of others. By naming a donut "bipolar," Psycho Donuts is trivializing a very serious and complex medical illness of the brain. It is not something to be taken lightly.

"Kipp Berdiansky and Jordan Zweigoron's use of mental health terminology out of context leads to misunderstandings and confusion and furthers the stigma associated with a physical brain disorder that is not a choice. The impact of stigma on children, youth and families is devastating. Stigma can result in fear, mistrust and violence against people living with mental illness. In fact, many people do not seek help for mental illness because of the stigma and mockery they face from the public.

"It is my hope the owners of Psycho Donuts will seek to work with the mental health community to help create a business that supports the mental health community instead of ridiculing it."

While on air, Wright challenged Berdiansky to meet again outside of the media spotlight to engage in further discussions about changing negative public opinions about mental illness. Berdiansky repeatedly sidestepped the offer saying he would only do so in public. Wright continues to believe that in the end, Berdiansky will find it in his heart to do the right thing rather than insisting on a public venue in which to commercialize his donut business instead of addressing the real issue of mental illness stigma.

The interview featuring Wright and Berdiansky will air on Channel 2, KTVU's Bay Area People on Saturday, July 25 at 6:30 a.m. and Sunday, July 26 at 9 a.m. on KICU TV36. The show also will be available on Comcast on Demand the week after July 26.