Lessons of Tucson: Gloria Duffy's Latest Huffington Post Article

Mental illness and access to guns were more at the heart of the tragedy in Tucson than was the tone of political debate, Commonwealth Club President and CEO Dr. Gloria Duffy writes on the Huffington Post.

She notes that "guns and mental illness have a pretty high chance of colliding in our society to predictably produce the killing sprees and assassinations we are experiencing."

Read more.

David Brooks Talks Tucson, Mental Illness, Politics, & More

New York Times columnist and "PBS NewsHour" commentator David Brooks addressed a standing-room-only Commonwealth Club of California audience January 11 in San Francisco. More than 500 people showed up to hear the conservative writer cover some of today's most talked-about issues – and one of the least talked-about aspects of the current hot-button topic.

He began by talking about the recent shooting tragedy in Tucson, stressing the mental illness issue that likely caused the event. But he also spoke about a number of other important topics, such as the Tea Party candidates in office, his assessment of President Barack Obama, possibilities for cooperation between the two major parties in Washington, D.C., and much more. You can watch it all in the video below, courtesy of our video partners at Fora.tv.

Photo Album: Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter at The Commonwealth Club of California

On Friday, August 13, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter spoke to The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco about an issue she's been working on for decades: mental health.

Ever gracious, Mrs. Carter also took time to meet with Club members and friends at the event, which was held at San Francisco's Herbst Theatre. The Commonwealth Club will post a complete transcript of the event in the future, but for now, enjoy these photos from the event.


Photos by Sonya Abrams.

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Tells SF Chronicle about Advances in Mental Health

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who will be speaking at The Commonwealth Club this Friday at noon, was interviewed by Julian Guthrie in today's San Francisco Chronicle. She tells the paper about her decades of involvement in mental health policy (which she discusses in her new book, Within Our Reach), and she also shares her first memories of being in San Francisco – and being told she and husband Jimmy looked too young to drink.

It's a charming interview. And don't forget to get your tickets to see her in-person this Friday.

Rosalynn Carter and the Mental Health Crisis

In mid-August, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will speak at a special Commonwealth Club event, where she will talk about the "mental health crisis." A long-time advocate of reforming treatment and policy on mental illness in this country, Carter recently took her message to The Daily Show, where she was lauded by host Jon Stewart for her good work.

Mental health treatment has gotten considerable coverage in the news lately, as people have examined the recently passed health-care reform bill and found enhanced coverage of mental health issues.

You'll be able to see Carter for yourself August 13 in San Francisco. Until then, here's a taste of her story:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rosalynn Carter
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Rosalynn Carter's program is a part of The Commonwealth Club's month-long special series, The Ascent of Woman.

Rosalynn Carter Confirms Commonwealth Club Talk

There’s no doubt that you grow in the White House. The things that come to the White House are the problems. You learn about how many people have mental afflictions, how many people are poor, how many people are hungry. And the actions of our country affect the world. For me it was a place of great responsibility. I felt that I ought to do everything I could.

- Rosalynn Carter, The Commonwealth Club, September 27, 1985

 Mental health advocate and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. (Photo by Wayne Perkins/The Carter Center)

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter recently confirmed her plans to speak at The Commonwealth Club this August, marking the politically active campaigner, public figure and mental health advocate’s first visit to The Club since her speech at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel, almost 25 years ago.

It’s more than a little exciting for us. When she first spoke with a Club audience on September 27, 1985, she and Former President Jimmy Carter were only four years out of the White House, having recently established the Carter Center of Emory University and the Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta, GA. She’d already penned the autobiographical First Lady from Plains and established a commitment to public health issues ranging from smoking-related diseases to the prevention and treatment of mental illness.

Carter has been an honorary fellow of the American Psychiatric Association since 1984, and her Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism has played a major role in fighting incorrect, negative stereotypes of mental disorders in the media. In 2008, Congress passed legislation requiring the availability of mental illness treatments under health insurance plans, thanks in large part to Carter’s active campaigning the year before.

During her White House years, the former first lady saw the Middle East peace discussions that resulted in the Camp David Accords, the Iran Hostage Crisis, and 1980’s Chrysler Corporation bailout (all topics that sound familiar today, too). She regularly represented the president in discussing foreign affairs with world leaders and dignitaries, and she is the first First Lady to keep abreast of the nation’s pressing issues by regularly sitting in on Cabinet meetings.

It’s our honor to welcome Mrs. Carter to The Club again. We’ll post more information regarding her upcoming talk online as the date approaches – in the meantime, check out our web site at www.commonwealthclub.org to find out more about Club talks, speakers and special events.

--By Andrew Harrison

Healthy Brain Symposium: Food for Thought

Many of us have heard that two-thirds of adults are overweight and that the incidence of childhood obesity is skyrocketing. But did you know that if you eat at fast food restaurants, you will get a fast food brain? Or that as your weight goes up, the size of your brain goes down? And that when it comes to brains -- size does matter? So says brain expert and best-selling author of Change Your Brain Change Your Life Dr. Daniel G. Amen.

Amen spoke to a standing-room-only crowd this last Wednesday at a special Commonwealth Club Member Led Forum afternoon series on brain health. He focused on the connection between what we eat and the health of our brain, because after all, "we are what we eat.” He said that the reasons diets don’t work is because most weight problems are “between the ears” and that, in fact, the word diet is “a four letter word.” So, to lose weight, argues, people have to employ what he calls “a life plan.”

Amongst Amen’s 10 critical steps to changing our brain and changing our bodies are boosting our brains to lose our bellies and knowing our motivations for eating. He said it is important to identify the kind of eaters we are, citing several types: compulsive, impulsive, impulsive-compulsive (the combination of both), sad (seasonal-affect disorder), or anxious. He noted how important it is to use brain supplements to boost our bodies. He also said that it is critical that we know our numbers -- the number of calories that we intake daily, the number of our body mass index, the levels of our hormones and cholesterol, and the number of hours we sleep. In fact, sleep is so important to brain health and weight that sleep deprivation can actually lead to overeating and, in fact, doubles the risk of obesity.

Amen emphasized the “need to eat right to think right.” He recommended replacing artificial sweeteners with the natural herbal sweetener stevia and eating smaller meals throughout the day rather than two or three big meals at designated times. He said people should avoid drinking calories, and he advocated a diet high in protein and fiber, stressing the importance of eating fruits and vegetables “from the rainbow.” Even certain spices -- such as tumeric, sage, rosemary, ginger, mint, cinnamon, and oregano -- are considered salubrious for our brain health. In particular, saffron is known to decrease depression.

Dr. Amen was one of six special guests to address what it takes to keep our brains healthy at all ages. Nutrition coach and health educator Patty James, a Commonwealth Club volunteer who helped organize the program, prepared healthy snacks for the reception that kicked off the afternoon’s talks. As the first speaker, James explained why she selected the reception's menu. Noting the importance of eating what she called “brain food,” she described the health benefits of raw walnuts and seeds, and fish (especially salmon).

Referencing the Monterey Aquarium's free helpful fish guide, she noted that the essential fatty acids found in salmon are also abundant in herring, mackerel, and blue fish. Because the brain is composed of 80-percent water, it is critical to drink lots of it. “However, this doesn’t mean a glass of wine at night and coffee in the morning, but at least 8 glasses of water a day.” She also pointed out the value of anti-oxidants in the diet, stressing the importance of consuming at least five to nine cups of different colored vegetables every day. Antioxidants, she said, counteract the damaging effect of oxidents on the tissue. “But almost everything” she concluded, “is okay in moderation.”

The series also featured talks by Dr. Bill Grant, chair of the Club’s Health and Medicine Member Led Forum and health researcher for SUNARC, who underscored the important role of Vitamin D in brain health, and UCSF’s neuroscientist Dr. Adam Gazelle, who explored the crossroads of memory and attention. Also addressing the crowd were Phil Jacklin, past president of Palo Alto’s alternative health group, the Smart Life Forum, who shared information on Alzheimer’s disease prevention and reversal, and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Judith Orloff, who emphasized that people need to harness their biology and attitude to reduce stress and optimize brain health and fitness.

--The Commonwealth Club's Media & Public Relations Department

Patty Duke Tells All

(Photos by Beth Byrne)

On July 27, Oscar winning actress and mental-health advocate Patty Duke packed the house at The Commonwealth Club. In conversation with KCBS entertainment reporter Jan Wahl, Duke spoke candidly about her troubled childhood and shared some of her most personal moments with the audience.

She began by discussing her upbringing in New York City, and how at age seven she was sent to live with Doug and Ethel Ross, the couple who are in part responsible for her fame -- and also her misfortune. The Rosses changed her name from Anna Marie to Patty, and at age 16 she was cast to play Helen Keller in “The Miracle Worker.” Duke spoke fondly of Anne Bancroft, with whom she worked with on the film. “Mostly what she did was that she allowed me to know she loved me unconditionally,” Duke said.

Though she won an Oscar for her portrayal of Keller, Duke’s life was beginning to fall apart. During filming of “The Miracle Worker,” the Rosses introduced Duke to alcohol, and she says she began drinking alongside them. Around the same time, she says she became a victim of sexual abuse at the hand of the Ross’. Though it wasn’t easy, in order to move forward with her life, Duke said she had to come to terms with that: “For my own health, I had to forgive them completely.”

On a lighter note, Duke discussed her experiences in Hollywood -- a place she said is very different today than it was during her time. She recalled her adoration for Gregory Peck, noting, “It was like God talking to me” when he spoke. She also offered her opinions on fellow childhood stars, like Michael Jackson, and said she felt a common bond with many others who started out as children. “Michael never understood what he was worth,” she observed.

Duke also spoke of her mental health, which she has openly discussed with the public for quite some time. At age 35, she was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, a diagnosis that was “the beginning of being able to really sort things out,” according to the actress. The purpose of the subsequent books she has authored on the subject was to “shed some light on one person’s experience with mental illness who has had a very positive recovery.”

Though she has enjoyed a long and successful career in Hollywood, Duke said her happiest moment was meeting her husband of almost 24 years, calling him “her ultimate blessing.” When asked by Wahl what she hoped people would take away from the discussion, Duke again emphasized the importance of mental-health issues. She wants the issue “to be part of the march against mental illness, because mental health is what our lives are mostly about now.” When Wahl asked how she made it through it all, Duke replied, “Due to the kindness of the universe, and the kindness of many, many people along the way”.

A star from stage to screen, her credits run the gamut -- ranging from her first Academy Award winning role in “The Miracle Worker” (1962) to her character as “Madam Morrible” in the current San Francisco touring production of the blockbuster smash Broadway hit "Wicked." Duke, the second woman to be elected president of the Hollywood Screen Actors Guild, is perhaps best known and beloved for starring as herself in the 1960’s popular TV comedy series "The Patty Duke Show."

At age 16, Patty Duke was the youngest actor to win an Academy Award in 1962 for her portrayal of the blind and deaf Helen Keller in “The Miracle Worker.” She has appeared in numerous movies and television series since then, including “My Sweet Charlie,” “Valley of the Dolls,” and more recently, “Judging Amy” and “Touched by an Angel.” During the 1960’s Duke also had a successful singing career, with several of her songs landing on the Top 40 charts.

In 2007 Patty Duke was awarded an honorary Doctorate from the University of North Florida for her efforts to advance awareness of mental-health issues. She has since become a role model for many individuals suffering from depression and openly discusses her struggles through her activism. It was in her first bestseller, Call Me Anna, in 1988 that Patty Duke revealed her long-kept secret – that she, in fact, suffered from a serious-but-treatable-mental illness called manic depression. In her second book, A Brilliant Madness, which she co-wrote in 1997 with medical reporter Gloria Hochman, she shed light on this destructive illness, sharing what it's like to live with the disorder and the latest findings concerning its most effective treatments.

The actress and mother has also become an ardent spokesperson and political advocate for various issues including the Equal Rights Amendment, AIDS, and nuclear disarmament. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband Michael Pearce.

--Commonwealth Club Media and Public Relations Department