About the Author

Carlton Davis is a writer, artist, architect and bipolar. Welcome to his odyssey.

PSYCHO DOUGHNUTS

July 15th, 2009 • Related • Filed Under

Psycho Doughnuts was all out of the bipolar doughnut said the nice young red headed nurse who served me. My fantasy, which I had been planning all the way down from San Francisco, had been to buy a dozen of these doughnuts leave the store and begin pitching them again the door of this shop in Campbell, California on the outskirts of San Jose, which is playing to the stigmatization of mental illness. I figured I could get a good nine or ten hits on the door of the establishment before the police descended on me. I would then claim the doughnuts made me do it. After all I was bipolar and I had just gone into this shop where they sold psycho doughnuts. What did they except?

The store was empty except for the young attendant, who apologized for being out of the bipolar doughnut. They were very popular she said. I wondered given the emptiness of the joint. She offered that I try their next most popular item, the “Massive Head Trauma Doughnut”. My plan for mayhem against the shop was fast fading in this young woman’s courteousness. I looked at the 13 doughnuts remaining in the tray between the lower layer of glazed apple fritters and the upper layer of banana cream pie doughnuts. They were big heavily glazed affairs oozing yellow filling at the side with a face made of two brown x’s for eyes, and a brown angle for the nose, and a brown squiggle for the mouth. Above one eye a glop of red filling burst through the surface of the doughnut. This was the massive head trauma. I said to the nurse I would have one of these doughnuts.

The other doughnuts weren’t so interestingly named. There was a butter nut, a cookie monster, a Mellow Drama, and several others whose names escape me. I ordered one mellow drama, a concoction of a French doughnut with rice crispies, glazing, and chocolate drizzle on top. The two doughnuts cost me over three dollars. I was glad I hadn’t ordered a dozen.

I looked around the shop. Indeed it was as the man in San Francisco at the NAMI conference had described the place to me. Everything in the shop made light of the seriousness of mental illness. On the wall behind the counter where the doughnuts are displayed a straight jacket is mounted. A group of plastic chairs is arranged in a circle near the entry door with a sign on wall that says “group therapy”. Small bad paintings on the walls depict all manners of psycho mayhem. One is named “cute killer”, a young woman with a knife dripping blood. In another is a smiling wide eyed woman in a strait jacket. The piece is called “All I need is a padded cell.” Next to the entry is a trash bin with a sign over it that says “Bates Motel.” Most demeaning of all is a little cubicle of three padded walls surrounding a chair with a chain across the front. This is called the padded cell.

With my purchased doughnuts I retreated out the door of this undistinguished storefront. All the place had from the outside was a small hand painted sign at the roof saying “Psycho Doughnuts” and a placard stuck to the door, which said “Open for Insanity.” There was no neon or anything grand. As a matter of fact the whole place was a rather cheap put on. I stood outside and watched the young attendant in her nurse’s outfit scurry about the interior. I wondered if I should throw my doughnuts at the door. I decided the act wasn’t worthy of my effort and headed south toward Los Angeles

After a while I became hungry. I bit into the Massive head trauma doughnut. What a sugar rush. This doughnut shouldn’t be called a psycho doughnut, but a cardiac arrest doughnut. I have never tasted such a sugar bomb in my life. The shop should be named Cardiac Arrest Doughnuts, but heart surgeons would put a stop to that. The name would be closer the reality of the product. I tried the other doughnut, the Mellow Drama. This doughnut was damn near uneatable, a weird tasting concoction I could recommend to no one. As bad as psycho doughnuts is for it puerile stigmatizing of mental illness, I think the place will not survive. Its product is so inferior and it’s interior so juvenile that it is not long for survival. May we all wish its failure soon and the nice young attendant get a real job as a real nurse?

There Are 49 Responses So Far. »

Comment by Robin on 16 July 2009:

I love your article, and I especially loved your fantasy (that’s the nice thing about fantasies — you don’t have to act on them). I know John (the man you met at the NAMI Conference), as I’m a member of Community

Alliance United to Seek Equality (CAUSE). Our first CAUSE is to get Psycho Donuts to change some of their practices.

I hope that you get a lot of hits on your Blog.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 16 July 2009:

Thank you for your comment. What are your other causes? Do I assume they are equality for the mentally ill?
Comment by Robin on 16 July 2009:

Hi,

CAUSE was formed out of our disgust for PD. Members work in the field of disability and/or are consumers. This is our first and only CAUSE at the moment. We are an organization that will fight stigma against disabilities, including mental illness.
Comment by John on 16 July 2009:

The owners of the donut shop claim that “it is about the donuts, not about people”. The padded cell is not about donuts. The strait jacket is not about donuts. The Bates Motel sign is not about donuts. These 3 items create and perpetuate the stigma and bias that those with mental illness are violent. If the shop is really about the donuts, show that to the public. Remove the sign, the jacket, and the padded cell.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 17 July 2009:

The owners of this donut shop are idiots to say such a stupid thing. It just shows how juvenile their whole attitude is.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 17 July 2009:

My heart felt thanks goes out to you for the service you are doing for the mental health community
Comment by Bodyc on 18 July 2009:

Hi, http://www.bipolarbarebook.com to GoogleReader!
Comment by Larz Thotes on 4 August 2009:

I love these doughnuts. Relax a bit John. Lighten up Francis. C’mon Carlton ez back there cowboy. By the way I love your dance, you should just stick to that!
Comment by Carlton Davis on 4 August 2009:

An interesting comment and what is my dance? The crazed gyrations of a bipolar maniac, who doesn’t particularly like being made fun of by some juvenile sugar crazed moll, who should spend some time in a straight jacket to see what it really like to have your civil rights taken away by a rightious skrink. Lets have a doughnut fight.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 4 August 2009:

Excuse me I read that as liz, not larz, you must be instead some pimply faced sugar crazed comic fanatic, who wouldn’t know good doughnuts from dung. Round one.
Comment by brit on 5 August 2009:

this was on ABC news today, and is getting blown out of proportion. If you don’t like the doughnuts- dont buy them. simple. If your offended, don’t consume. Its funny how common clothing shops can have sweat shops in indonesia but won’t let a little man open a doughnut shop that breaks social edicate by teasing psychological health. America- if this is so offensive reassess your day and reflect on why you have so much time to care.
Comment by Shaggy on 5 August 2009:

I am 5′-8″ tall, which is, I believe shorter than the average American male. I DEMAND all references to ’short’ be taken out of the food lexicon, such as: short stack of pancakes, short order cook, beef short ribs, etc. Can I join your CAUSE group to further the cause for less-than-average-height people?
Comment by independant advocat on 5 August 2009:

Excellent article! I agree they are on their way out. I think they thought of an idea that was controversial and will make as much money as they generate- take the money and do something else. The people that are giving them so much attention are obviously the uninformed and uneducated about stigmatizing mental illness. They may be mainly persons with short attention spans who will eventually get bored and move onto something else.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 5 August 2009:

Excellant comment. well thought out and articulate.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 5 August 2009:

I am sorry Shaggy, but what was referenced as “short” in this particular article. To be a “short pscho” would to be twice unfairly stigmatized.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 5 August 2009:

Ah Brit, I did buy the doughnuts. They were dreadful. As a food critic, I would rate them a tad above garbage. I am entitled to that opinion. The “little man” struggling against the massive forces of mental illness, who find his names offensive should try naming his concoctions “the diabetic duos,” the sugar shocks, “the hard artery twists,” “the heart valve slams,” or four chamber bypass,” and see how he likes dealing with the other medical opposition. By the way Brit, check out your spelling edicate is not a word, etiquette is. It comes from the French and they know food and good manners. They would never open a sugar pit like Pscho Doughnuts.
Comment by dmwjr6 on 7 August 2009:

What is the big deal? So he named his doughnut shop Psycho Doughnuts. Has it really come to this where we have to cry about everything? I guess only in California. Being someone that suffers from mental illness it doesn’t bother me. Look at yourselves a bunch of crybabies, crying over something like this. What is next? Oh I know lets protest danish shops, they sell bear claws, that sounds like they are cookinf bear claws. Would that affend the bears? We should protest it. Even better lets protest Coke a cola. The name alone could affend people addicted to cocain, yeah there we go. You know what that reminds me I went into a clothes store the the other day and you know what I saw? Get ready for this …… A BIKINI. What about the fat people that can’t wear theses that is offensive to them lets protest in front of thoses stores that sell bikinis. Stupid huh?

The point I am trying to make is why protest things that don’t matter. I could see protesting if the store owner was having doughnut eating competions between mentally handicaped people but he is not. No instead of protesting company that would have probably gone belly up by now, take the time wasted protesting and voulunteer somewhere that your time will matter I said my peace.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 8 August 2009:

All right this is turning out to be a really good doughnut fight. dmwjr6 yours was a good swishy jelly glazed right into my wheel house. We should protest for the poor bears whose paws have been appropriated for sugar treats. Imagine if you were a bear how you would feel. Just like the bipolar person who doesn’t like his or her affliction taken as a joke. Now about those Bikini’s. Where is this shop? I want to go protest. I doubt if they have my size and it isn’t fair. The trouble with your agrument is that stupid names like this shop do matter. They increase the stigmatism of mental illness by the very nature of making fun of it. Being bipolar is not a joke. Nor is any other mental illness. I find the shop name humor as distasteful as his doughnuts. By the way the check your spelling. Check your meanings. I think you have said your “piece”, not peace. Good pitch, May you rest in peace.
Comment by Xieon on 14 August 2009:

I really do believe that CAUSE (what a cute little acronym) are just a bunch of old people with nothing better to do. I have watched countless reviews on this establishment and videos of the protest.

Yes I fully agree with dmwjr6, He pretty much summed up what this country has come to, not just CA. So he named his shop Psycho Doughnuts…Technically Psycho is not a PC medical term, and there are many other popular things with the name Psycho in front of it. (i.e. Psycho Mouse rid at Great America.)

I have visited this shop today, and apparently I really enjoyed my stay, and yes I have family members with multiple disorders. I am not offended and neither will they.

You going to whine about EL POLLO LOCO for making fun of crazy chickens now?

Now about the doughnuts themselves…doughnuts are not supposed to be healthy at all, if you think these are bad, you should go try yourself a krispy kreme, those are smaller and are hand grenades for your heart.

And throwing doughnuts at a store a fantasy? wow that is really…REALLY mature, are you sure your not diagnosed with ADHD as well?

anyways, I’ve said my two cents.
Now maybe you can go /wrists or something.

oh oops…did i just make a bipolar joke?
Comment by Carlton Davis on 14 August 2009:

Thanks for the interesting and thought provoking reply. Yours is an worthly doughnut missle fired with some forethought however without good english or good spelling- What is a Psycho mouse rid?- the bin where they dispose of psycho mice driven to insanity by all the human inanity at Great America, -and you don’t know if enjoyed your to the shop? Since you used the word “apparently”, you are not sure about your stay. May you had a sugar attack clouding your reason? However all that being said I liked the general tone and cleverness of your thoughts. El Pollo Loco, one could whine about them too, but only from a culinary point of view. One has to be crazy to eat there. Krispy Kremes- we all know they are ineatable, but I like your analogy that they are hand grenades to your heart. Good doughnut hurl. Now I can go /wrist what ever that means. By the way I am “an old people” and god knows we have nothing better to do than set upon the young and rip their squirrelly little hearts out.
Comment by independant advocat on 15 August 2009:

Xieon, I’m an old person. There aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything I do or want to do. Let’s see- you’ve had something to say about old people, CAUSE, persons with ADHD, persons with bipolar Krispy Kremes and the author of this blog. Are you having a bad day, Sweetie?
Comment by Carlton Davis on 15 August 2009:

Anybody, who has his face full of pycho doughnuts is bound to be having a bad day!
Comment by snazzygina on 16 August 2009:

I have an idea for everyone who opposes Psycho Donuts. You don’t like what they are selling or the theme of their shop? THEN DON’T SHOP THERE. Don’t give them business.

Guess what? Anytime I hear about a protest…I want to go buy donuts and support them. I think people need to calm the heck down and get a sense of humor. (And YES…I have been diagnosed with severe depression before) I am not the LEAST bit offended. I think it’s funny and I don’t think they are out to hurt or harm anyone.

It’s ridiculous to me that even though the owners have changed some of their shop (donut names and some of the themes inside) that the organizations against PD are still up in arms. Come on…leave them alone already. If people are so determined to help the mental illness community they should be donating their time and $$ in a more productive manner.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 16 August 2009:

I haven’t been there, since my initial visit and don’t intend to return. I won’t give them my business. The name is offensive. The doughnuts are offensive in more ways than one. I don’t think the folks who started this business were aware enough to know that they would be offending anyone with their silly business until someone told them so. They are too stupid to hurt anyone on purpose kind of like drunk drivers. The owners are just clowns with juvenile humor and taste. Their humor is the humor of whoopey cushions. They deserve anyone jumping all over their bones. Here I come ready to jump on that big infated “Major head trauma pillow.” Splat! Eeeh! What a mess! Who says I don’t have a sense of humor. I’m sending a dollar fifty to Mental Health America to ring the bell for mental health. I invite everyone else to do the same. I believe PD wants a buck fifty for their glazed trauma creation.
Comment by Xieon on 17 August 2009:

Good shot, Good Shot.

Carlton Davis, my hats off to you, I have high respects with someone who can intelligently insult someone (no sarcasm or offense intended, serious about this). I double checked the names again and most of them have been changed since your original post, The “Massive Head Trauma” one that everyone made a fuss about has been changed to the “Headbanger” and the Biopolar doughnut is no more (don’t know what they changed that name to). Most of the names are now somewhat “tamed” as many may call it.

Just wanted to inform you about your “Cardiac Arrest Doughnuts” Idea…It would be too similar to the Heart Attack Grill (http://www.heartattackgrill.com/).

Well I have said what I needed to say, I wish you well on your journey, and move on with life. Farewell and thanks for the discussion.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 17 August 2009:

Thank you Xieon, Why not sign up to be on my mailing list, and receive future updates to my website. Regarding this doughnut fight, I have found the whole thing to be hilarious. So much passion over some much sourdough. Pardon my pun or is bun? Oh well. My best to you on your journey in life. My you have good mental health.
Comment by independant advocat on 17 August 2009:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/08/column-mental-illness-isnt-a-punch-line.html
Comment by Carlton Davis on 18 August 2009:

Terrific!!! A well spoken piece. I recommend everyone go read it.
Comment by Xieon on 18 August 2009:

The piece was very well written, But I don’t understand why it is such a big deal now. I see no point in “protesting” since they did comply and changed the name of the doughnuts, (which were the only thing that people really had a problem with in the first place.)

The rest of it is just fun and games, I mean if being “Psycho” is really that disturbing to people, then why don’t I see any protests for the great Alfred Hitchcock’s movies most of them were about “Psycho” stuff (and no I’m not just talking about the self titled ‘Psycho’ movie he made.)

there have been many movies that make fun of mental disorders even in a very distasteful way like the whole “Scary movie” series, they really lay it down on people with disorders.

There are many horror movies that have the main killer end up being someone with some type of mental disorder.

But yet I have not seen any articles, or even protests about them…I’m all for rights of each individual, I’m mainly against makeshift groups like CAUSE because people like them are one of the reasons I will never know one of my uncles.

People like CAUSE back in the day took my Uncle away from my grandmother just because he was different. He was a little slow, but he would have been fine and be able to grow up, instead he ended up growing up in some mental institution where they shocked him, and gave him very high doses of medication.

He doesn’t even know his family anymore and I never met him. I know it really hurts my mother whenever she tells me this story. My grandmother and my mother were not allowed to see him. Only very frequent visits but were not allowed to talk to him.

I mean he was just a CHILD and people like CAUSE took him away from his own mother. To me that is just wrong.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 18 August 2009:

Xieon, You make a number of very interesting points in your comments, but first let me defend CAUSE, which by the way I am not a member of. I don’t think they would condone what happened to your grandfather. That is not how I or CAUSE would want mental illness to be treated today. With proper medication and treatment your grandfather need not have been institutionalized -and stimatized. He could have been a functioning member of society. What happened to him is an old model, a discredited model, and one more likely to be supported by those ignorant of mental illness, like the creators of pyscho doughnuts. Movies, Like the “Scary Movie” series do contribute to the stimatization of mental illness. Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done about this other than picket the movies and protest just like what was done with Psycho Doughnuts. As long as people fear mental illness and think those who have it are likely to be murderers or “psycho’s, we will continue to have exploitation of the fear. Fear sells, just like sex. Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” is one great movie- a real spline tingler. I remember dropping my bag of popcorm in my lap when Norman Bates dressed in drag knife over head rushes the detective , I was so scared. Yes the movie probably does contribute to the stigma, but the great art of this piece of cinema saves it from damnation. Mad men do exist and some do commit horrible crime. Hitchcock captured the insanity and horror grippingly.
Comment by Robin on 19 August 2009:

I am a Team Leader of CAUSE, and I am a strong advocate for people with disabilities. I have devoted my entire adult life to this. All of the Team Leaders work in the field of disability rights, and most have disabilities or have close family members with disabilities. I can assure you that the Team Leaders of CAUSE would have been the ones trying to help your Uncle, Grandmother and the rest of your family, and would most definitely not have been the ones to institutionalize or to condone the institutionalization of your uncle. I am truly sorry that happened.

You need to research some of the organizations that the Team Leaders of CAUSE are affiliated with, such as the National Alliance On Mental Illness, Silicon Valley Independent Living Center, Mental Health Advocacy Project, United Advocates for Children and Families, and the Disabilities Support Programs and Services for California Community Colleges. You will see that these organizations have been all about quality of life, rights, and education for and about people with disabilities.

We are not protesting merely the donut names; although, we are pleased that PD changed the names of the two offensive ones. We are protesting the stigma that places like PD creates. And stigma is one of the main reasons why many people are embarrassed and ashamed of having disabilities or of having family members/loved ones with disabilities, particularly those disabilities that involve the brain. When people feel embarrassed and/or ashamed, they don’t seek treatment, or any kind of assistance, which is an absolute travesty.

Our issue with PD was that they mingled a horror concept with mental illness and head injuries, and they were poking fun at them as well. They have indeed changed some of the most offensive names and items, but we are hoping that the remainder of the offensive items (and there are only a few remaining) be removed as well.

CAUSE was formed because of our issue with PD’s practices, but we will continue to be a coalition, to fight stigma and discrimination toward people with disabilities.

Stigma toward people with disabilities is accepted and is everywhere, and there is something we can do about it, one CAUSE at a time.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 19 August 2009:

Well Spoken, There is nothing I can add to that statement accept to urge CAUSE to keep on doing what it is doing. Where do I get a membership form. Sign me up.
Comment by individual advocate on 19 August 2009:

Robin, Thank you. Your words are very well put and to the point. I thought I was through commenting but I had to thank you. What a lot of people may be missing is that those of us who are protesting have seen and experienced things that usually don’t get into print. Many of those who don’t understand are those who have a mental illness or a mental illness in a loved one that, albeit difficult and challenging, is manageable or at least allows one to speak clearly about it. Until one has sat in the ER while a son’s stomach is being pumped or has to call for 515o for the loved one’s protection, or watched their loved one crying “don’t let them take me away,” or heard that they are finally out of restraints, or waiting for the call that they were found after being missing for months, or attended countless funerals and can nor longer see a movie with a suicide or hear a train passing or sirens or a homeless person pushing a cart or raving in the streets. These are sons and daughters, brother, etc. They have families who are helpless to get them into protective custody except to deal with the deal with the police and sometimes it turns out badly. PSTD is common in families- parents especially. We learn to live with ongoing continuing grief. No we are not victims. We find ways to put things aside for a moment. To have fun and relationships and to feel like a normal families- for a while. Sometimes our only solace is to help other families.We walk around with a hole in our hearts and if anyone does not believe that suicide among persons with mental illness is not related to stigma consider others who are fighting stigma- gay teens for example. The damage has been done already by PD. the hurt, and re-traumatizing of families fighting for dignity.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 19 August 2009:

Once again I can only say how well spoken. Indeed the damage has already been done by Psycho Doughnuts! The fight to end stigma will go on for a long time to come.
Comment by Davey Boy Floyd on 19 August 2009:

Some people still don’t get it. The reason this is an issue is because people with mental illnesses are reluctant to seek help. The stigma caused by so called “fun items” like the straight jacket and padded cell prevent people from looking for help. They don’t want to be labeled “Psycho”. For a person to say, “just don’t shop there” is plain ignorant. That’s like telling Jews and Black people, “Just don’t go to Mississippi if you don’t like racism.” Certain things are not acceptable in a civilized society. The lack of empathy expressed by some of these comments is truly concerning.
Comment by Davey Boy Floyd on 19 August 2009:

It’s always interesting to hear people like snazzygina comment on how “she” is Okay with her illness so everyone else should “calm the heck down”. Perhaps sanzzygina should offer her wealth of wisdom to one or more of the families who’ve recently had one of their loved ones walk in front of a moving train along the peninsula. It may surprise you “snazzygina”, that not everyone responds to illness or recovery in the same way.
…and Xieon, sorry to hear about your personal issues but CAUSE and people like them are the reason for your suffering? Are you for real? You should find out something about this group of organizations AND individuals that have formed this coalition before you make comments like the ones you’ve made here. If you think CAUSE or groups like CAUSE are the source of your suffering, I’d suggest you seek counseling. This is not meant to trivialize your pain but that statement should be reason for concern.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 20 August 2009:

OK, This doughnut fight is getting nasty. Doughnuts are flying every which way. Lets back off and keep our aim at the target that is important here. Psycho Doughnuts are the stigma creator. They are the ones that need counseling.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 20 August 2009:

OK, You make some good points. I especially like the “just don’t go to Mississippi.” A high hard doughnut right down the middle of the plate for a strike. Please forgive my baseball analogies. I am a fan of America’s passtime.
Comment by Davey Boy Floyd on 20 August 2009:

I’m sorry if I was nasty. But it is hard to listen to the unconsciousness of the masses. How can anyone say,”just don’t go there”? Is the answer to this issue just ignore this and it will go away? Any high school history student will tell you that ignoring things like this and allowing them to go unchallenged will lead to more and more outrageous, anti-social behavior. The fact is 1 in 4 families are affected by mental illness. Some, like “snazzygina”, are fine with their situations. Others struggle and long for help. When they don’t find it, they walk in front of trains. Thank god “snazzygina” is okay with her situation. I wish everyone was so lucky.
I’m off my soap box, for now. I wish you all good health and prosperity…
Comment by Carlton Davis on 20 August 2009:

Well said. I wish you good mental health and prosperity
Comment by independent advocate on 20 August 2009:

Thank you Davey Boy. I wish more people would get up on that soap box. PD owners most likely did not start out to hurt anyone, but once informed they needed to quit the nonsense and not just tone it down so we will go away. Those in the middle of the road who waffle back and forth are dancing to their tune. The lines concerning stigma are clearly drawn here from my point of view. I don’t believe there is such a thing as stigma lite. They are still playing the mental illness card for profit, in my opinion. The scum always rises to the top. By scum, I am not referring to persons, but to deplorable acts.
Comment by Brian on 20 August 2009:

A very passionate and spirited discussion…
As a member of CAUSE and as Executive Director of NAMI Santa Clara, I am deeply concerned at the level of apathy and lack of understanding expressed by members of the community. Mental illnesses are biological diseases that can strike anyone at anytime. The effects are devastating to the individual, their family, friends and co-workers.

So many times I’ve spoken with parents who say “my adult child is very ill but he/she won’t seek help. What can I do?” It’s a life-long challenge that some people don’t believe they can handle. So, they cope the best way they know how; denial, alcohol, drugs, suicide…Some adjust and are able to lead productive lives. Judging from some of the responses to this article, some who have made the adjustment seem to have lost their ability to empathize with the struggles of others; that’s really unfortunate.

I can’t imagine that the Executive Director of the American Cancer Society ever has a parent say, “my adult child is very ill and he/she won’t seek help.” That’s because, the only stigma associated with cancer is death.

I urge you to look beyond the surface of this discussion. Ignoring this type of business practice is akin to an endorsement of their behavior.

Regarding CAUSE: I have never come across a more concerned and passionate group of individuals. As advocates, we understand that we are almost always in the minority. After all, we speak for those who have little or no voice in our community. We face constant hostility from people who don’t understand the issues. People shouting nasty things as we exercise our rights to free speech, hostile “anti-protesters”, bikers, bullies and yet, the members of CAUSE continue to spread their anti-stigma message.

For my brothers and sisters at CAUSE, I leave you this quote from Margaret Mead:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it it the only thing that ever has.”
In Solidarity
Brian Miller
Executive Director
NAMI Santa Clara
Comment by Carlton Davis on 20 August 2009:

Another well spoken statement. I agree there is no such thing as stigma lite. Bravo.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 20 August 2009:

There is nothing more I can add to this thoughtful and strong statement, except to state my surprise that my website has become the sounding board for so much passionate communication on this subject. Do me a favor read my book. It is appropriate to stigma busting and will encourage me to keep on with my personal fight to bring mental illness into the open, where a full understanding of what it is and what it isn’t can be comprehended. Thank you
Comment by independent advocate on 20 August 2009:

Thank you Brian. I was a member of Nami back when it was PAMI. It has grown from the small share and care groups where we met and where we became each others’ family and responded to emergencies when there was no one out there seemingly to call- to trust. About cancer. I am a survivor of stage three colon cancer who after surgery was in intensive care for 11 days and received the last rites of the church (annointing.) That was not as traumatic as having loved ones who struggle with mental illness. I am so glad you have spoken. I know you are being heard.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 20 August 2009:

Thank you Independent Advocate, the struggle with mental illness is comparable with other medical disasters.
Comment by independent advocate on 21 August 2009:

You’re welcome. After this I hope to move onto my other commitments. The parallel I intended to draw about cancer and mental illness is that from the moment of DX through surgery and chemotherapy, I had a team of doctors working with me and for me. I was monitored and made comfortable and will remain in surveillance mode for 5 years. I wish this for anyone with a serious illness. Also having a person with mental illness is not the traumatic part for me. The traumatic part for me is the helplessness I have felt in attempting to keep them safe. The next thing I want to say is that there will be persons who will be tempted to praise the owner for the changes. That’s their right but I ask that they consider this from the Santa Cruz Sentinel yesterday’s edition;” A lot of [the changes] were things that I planned to do all along,” Zweigoron added. “IT WASN’T ABOUT GIVING INTO DEMANDS, (my caps) but more about in order to be the most unusual doughnut shop in the land, you have to keep innovating, and that’s my intention.” Look to the motive. The man gained national recognition on the backs of innocent and fragile individuals and families. He can afford to change and call it keeping things fresh and fun. He pays no fines nor are there consequences for his actions. Does this encourage others to behave in the same manner? Individuals can stir the pot and prod and be very noisy (my style.) But it takes a group to initiate legal consequences for harm to persons with disabilities. I admire CAUSE for their strong stand and ongoing advocacy.
Comment by Carlton Davis on 21 August 2009:

Once again a well spoken piece that I think sums up the issue. Its obvious the owner of the doughnut shop doesn’t get it or refuses to get the issue why people are upset. He is too blinded by his materialism. So we will have to let that go. There is no point in beating a dead horse. It is time to move on to other issues and commitments. Time to end this doughnut fight.
Comment by vince on 5 November 2009:

LOL you jerks are a joke. these guys are right. who cares what he name his shop. GUESS WHAT losers ive always wanted to open up a burger joint. called MAD COWS. could have a COW on the roof covered in neon and on the hour it SHAKES and BLINKS. and then THIS lame ass comment. ” It’s always interesting to hear people like snazzygina comment on how “she” is Okay with her illness so everyone else should “calm the heck down”. Perhaps sanzzygina should offer her wealth of wisdom to one or more of the families who’ve recently had one of their loved ones walk in front of a moving train along the peninsula: what the F does a TRAIN hitting morons have to do with eating donuts in a goofy setting? and the guy was right you stupid asses gona go protest EL POLO LOCO lol
PC LAME ASSES

Bipolar Bare says = And I thought this issue was dead. It still inflames the Mad Cows. Must be the beef they are eating. I go vetgetarian, if I was this guy.