Dear President Clinton,

I'm writing to you concerning health care policy and mental health. Twelve years ago I was diagnosed as having "manic depression". I suffer from periods of mania characterized by rapid unintelligible speech, spending sprees and grandiose delusions. In addition, there are periods of depression when I lose the motivation to do things that previously were enjoyable: getting out of bed, talking with friends and living. This disease is thought to have genetic, developmental, physiological, and environmental components.

The disease effects every aspect of life. It will be with me for the rest of my life. People at my work place, friends and family will all feel the economic and emotional influence of the disease in their lives.

The degree to which I can maintain stability increases my ability to lead a productive and fulfilling life. When my mental health has been unstable, it has set me back in school, cost me jobs, and alienated those around me. Following each of these crises, it has taken an enormous amount of work by mental health professionals, support groups, friends, family and myself to get back on track. Not surprisingly, everyone involved is much happier if these crises can be avoided or mitigated. A loss of health coverage is devastating and ultimately we all pay more.

A well thought out transition plan is vital to minimize a relapse. This transition plan should include medication issues, stress reduction, short term goals, long term plans, insurance coverage, legal issues, work plans and incorporate relevant governmental regulations.

Clearly, the management of mental health care involves complex interdependent issues which should be addressed in federaI policies. Everyone would be best served if the national mental health policy integrated prevention, crisis management, rehabilitation, education and research.

A mental health policy can not be successful without minimizing red tape. In the current system, mental health patients and their loved ones are caught in a "Catch-22" nightmare. At the times of greatest crisis, they are forced to battle red tape in order to receive services. Too often the mental health care system fails to respond to individuals who feel they have no solution to their problems but suicide.

I urge you to invest in our greatest resource: the human mind.

Sincerely,

Polar Paul