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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by psych chat on October 18, 2009, at 12:55:19
Does anyone else here think this is f-ed up, or is it just me? I don't think this is funny at all...I don't understand how so many people could go along with this to begin with. The store employees, owner, manager...
NAMI California Voices Outrage At Thoughtless Entrepreneurs
Donut company reinforces stigma and sterotypes, insulting consumers and families.
From NAMI California by Staff Writer, April 7, 2009NAMI California has voiced its opposition to pastry shop operators in Campbell who are marketing "Psycho Donuts" in an effort to drum up business by fortifying a discriminatory stigma against people with mental illness and their families. The shop owners, according to their website, have "taken the neighborhood donut and put it on medication, and given it shock treatment."
The donuts are served by women wearing nurses uniforms and children patrons are encouraged to sit in a "padded cell" for photographs while wearing a straightjacket.
"This is the most egregious example of negligent consumerism that continues to promote stereotypes and discrimination in our society," said NAMI California Director Grace McAndrews. "You don't see malt shops called the "Heart Attack Café" or tobacco shops called "Cancer Time". When you stigmatize mental illness and shame consumers, those that need help are too afraid to seek it. And then people die."
The donut shop offers products called Psycho, the Bipolar, Massive Head Trauma, and the Cracker Attacker. "When you consider the number of American troops returning from combat, with record numbers of suicides due to massive head trauma, it's not a funny thing," McAndrews added. "Ask a soldier how he feels about that donut."
The California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC) has already lodged a complaint with state representatives and public agencies. "We believe that this type of branding is exactly what the stigma and discrimination activities of the MHSA were intended to combat," said CFILC Executive Director Teresa Favuzzi.
According to the Mayo Clinic, stigmas exist because people believe mental illness is "not the same as a medical or physical illness". People discriminate against consumers, believing that biological or environmental conditions are "all in their heads", assuming that people choose to remain ill, or are simply weak and lazy.
Consequently, under the lash of stigma, sufferers refuse diagnosis or treatment, fearing loss of jobs or family, pretending as if nothing is wrong, or are subject to housing discrimination and harassment. Only last year did Congress pass legislation ensuring that health insurance for people suffering from mental illness is offered in parity with coverage for individuals for other health ailments and diseases.
For years, NAMI has led the way in the fight against harmful stereotypes and stigma.
"To simply say that the owners of this donut shop are ignorant doesn't do justice to the irreparable harms they cause when they train young people to laugh at those who suffer," McAndrews added. "Mental illness is not something to joke about in the name of cheap fat and sugar."
Source: NAMI California
Posted by psych chat on October 18, 2009, at 12:59:52
In reply to psycho donuts - mental health stigma, posted by psych chat on October 18, 2009, at 12:55:19
I mean, what's next - a childhood abuse Halloween haunted house where you can get a glimpse of the torture of being abused as a child? I just don't get it.
Posted by Deneb on October 18, 2009, at 15:06:27
In reply to Re: psycho donuts - mental health stigma, posted by psych chat on October 18, 2009, at 12:59:52
I read about this in a thread on PsychCentral and I think it is totally discriminatory and promotes stigma against the mentally ill.
It is awful. Those people should be ashamed of themselves. It seems like they will do anything to make a buck. It is teaching children to make fun of those with mental illness.
I bet they love the controversy though. It gives them more free advertising.
Posted by 10derHeart on October 19, 2009, at 1:23:52
In reply to psycho donuts - mental health stigma, posted by psych chat on October 18, 2009, at 12:55:19
Here's their website:
http://www.psycho-donuts.com/home.html
I suppose people could email them as there is a link, although not sure how effective anything like that would be unless it comes from locals. It is a local business, and from a bit of digging, looks pretty popular in that area...
Several years back, Vermont Teddy Bear blundered like this and launched some sort of bear (Valentine's Day, I think) in a straightjacket, under the guise of "madly in love" or "psycho for you" or something, I can't recall. I emailed and wrote them by snail mail, as apparently did *many* others. Being a nationally advertised, high-end mail order business, VTB removed that bear from their inventory and apologized for any perceived insensitivity, saying their intentions were benign, but clearly they hadn't really thought about it enough.... So that was good, because that bear was so wrong.
However, this shop is worse. The nurse's outfits, a padded cell with straightjackets as an area to take your kids' photos??!! Really? What parent would have their child pose for such a photo?? Please don't answer that, don't think I want to know...
I looked over the menu, extensive merchandise, etc. They are very focused on the prefix 'psycho' naturally, considering their name. I try to gently and educationally correct people I encounter who say, "What - are you psycho?", or "He's really such a psycho, " or "I went psycho when I heard that, " and on and on and on. But it's quite an uphill battle. That term has really become ingrained in the lingo of Americans and I find most people don't even know what the heck they are saying. I have heard the terms bipolar, nuts, schizo (HATE that one), OCD and a few others thrown around like this as well, but none as often as psycho.
While I totally agree with you and NAMI how inappropriate and awful this is, I think this is pure ignorance, with some measure of innocence (possibly - I can't be sure without knowing the business owners, obviously) I think they may have taken the word "nuts" in the word donuts, and run with it, resulting in some of their menu item names, etc. Then it blossomed into a whole theme for the place. I am NOT defending them by any means, just trying to reason out HOW this would have happened, even naming your business Psycho Donuts - wouldn't one person, family, friend, business partner have had personal experience with mental illness, and said, "Hey....waaaait a minute, what are we saying/doing here?"
It's almost unfathomable to me, but I am attempting to 'fathom' the meetings where all this was brainstormed and found to be okay. It's so strange.
I dunno. Are whole communities really this desensitized? And do they really NOT realize, when it is nearly 2010, that MI IS A REAL DISEASE??!! argggghhhhh.
Or is it some backlash against requiring PC speech, gone amok? As in, "oh, lighten up, we're just kidding, don't worry about it".....kind of thinking??
Posted by Angela2 on October 19, 2009, at 20:35:09
In reply to psycho donuts - mental health stigma, posted by psych chat on October 18, 2009, at 12:55:19
I think psycho donuts is seriously stupid. Ignorant. Here's their website though...http://www.psycho-donuts.com/
I think the nurses costumes and the padded cell are completely offensive...
Posted by Angela2 on October 19, 2009, at 20:47:15
In reply to Re: psycho donuts - mental health stigma, posted by Angela2 on October 19, 2009, at 20:35:09
http://psychodonuts.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html
I read the whole entry. It talks about the reason why they call it psycho donuts and their opinion on mental health and stuff..
Posted by 10derHeart on October 19, 2009, at 21:05:14
In reply to hmmm, posted by Angela2 on October 19, 2009, at 20:47:15
Well, that is a relief. Thanks, Angela, I looked around yesterday and never found that. Sounds like I suspected sorta, in fact, even better intentions that I imagined. I thought it was some weird form of sheer ignorance + innocence.
I still don't care for it, though. I think not every customer would understand what's on that blog. If it means a lot to them, they should have signs up in the shop with an excerpt of that philosophy.
Maybe they do. I hope so, or some are still going to not understand they mean to support when it seems they are trivializing a serious group of conditions. And i don't care what they say - considering what used to happen in MH settings years back, and the trauma of the use of straightjackets, not only on the patient, but family, friends, providers of care....that is NEVER going to be funny to me.
But it is good to have more perspective...
Posted by psych chat on October 20, 2009, at 6:34:52
In reply to psycho donuts - mental health stigma, posted by psych chat on October 18, 2009, at 12:55:19
I can see the other perspectives too. I did see one person, who claimed to be bipolar, post on their company blog that she is glad for the shop, that it makes her feel more accepted or something like that. I would guess they wouldn't post the negative comments from others.
And I thought about it-the company's perspective. Still, it doesn't make sense because they are not portraying mental illness in a positive light--they are actually reinforcing stereotypes. How many mentally ill people do you know who are such a danger to themselves or others that they need a straightjacket or padded cell? I'd guess that children visiting that shop with their parents are going to have that image in their mind about 'the mentally ill'.
Instead of a padded cell and straightjackets, the cause might be better served by-just an example-by emphasizing famous people who have been known to suffer from mental illnesses - such as Isaac Newton, Virgina Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, Jane Pauley, Buzz Aldrin, Winston Churchill, etc. I can think of some other creative ways to implement a mental illness theme, if the purpose is to diminish stigma.
It's still difficult to talk about mental illness among your colleagues (this is true for me and some others i know). Maybe if the public understood those around them with mental health issues can achieve accomplishments, are those who interact among them every day as opposed to being psycho or nuts, and have value to society - maybe then will things improve.
Hollywood sometimes does a good job of this. The news media-they commonly point out a mental illness in someone who has committed a murder. Those with mental illnesses are no more likely to commit crimes than those without. By linking mental illness with straight jackets and padded cells, it seems to do more damage than good.
Certainly, NAMI disagrees with their approach as well. As Deneb mentioned-it sure does give the shop publicity, and I think negative publicity about those who suffer from mental illness.
Thanks for posting your thoughts.
This is the end of the thread.
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