I would never deny that there have been - and continues to be - severe abuses within the mental health system. What concerns me (and is the topic of this article) is the prevalence within some segments of society and the mental health movement for polarization, posturing, and self-imposed segregation.

In my opinion, mental health is a matter that ultimately affects us all. Illness can strike anyone at anytime and recognizes no boundaries of ethnicity, class, age, or belief system. Therefore, I feel we should remember that each person however he is defined - by himself or society - is first and foremost a human being.

There has been much discussion over the years as to what to call someone with a mental illness or diagnosis. What word is "proper"? Consumer, Client, Recipient, Patient or Survivor. Opinions on this matter are numerous. To me, the only label of genuine meaning is that of Human Being.

Some people find it fashionable to debate the very existence of mental illness. Others concede its validity but argue over the cause. Everyone is bound to have a notion on this. If we disagree, it should be done in a manner of respect. Each in individual has his own unique belief system. Truth is relative to the individual and finds its highest expression when it emerges from a consensus or genesis of many ideas.

The mental health awareness movement has grown because we have learned to listen to people and value their opinions regardless of our own professional views. Unfortunately, I have seen that many "professionals" and consumers feel it necessary to circle the wagons against an imagined enemy. The greatest obstacle to enlightenment and the improvement of the human condition is ignorance.

All too often a confrontational posture is assumed. This is seen when "professionals" believe that they have a monopoly on wisdom and when "consumers" refuse to accept any experience other than their own. Any meaningful progress will only be achieved and sustained through an open and respectful dialogue, one that honors the diversity of experiences ideas and opinions.

Hopefully we are all working toward the same common goals: the advancement of conditions within society for all people. If we desire, life can be sub-divided into an almost infinite number of sub-groups, each with different adversities and experiences. Everyone suffers and struggles to some degree. Diversity and individuality are significant primarily within the context of the whole.

Rather than arguing over that which separates us, we should be mindful of those things which unite us. The emotional and intellectual walls now setting many of us apart from each other are no longer needed. We must revere the diversity around us if society as a whole is ever going to improve.