I have signed up for #NAMIWalks. My page is at http://namiwalks.nami.org/cambriaj1977 , or you could try my team, Purple Ponies, at http://namiwalks.nami.org/purpleponies so I can raise funds. Anyone who is willing to send money, please do so. Here are a few things you might be thinking:

1) Why have you signed up for NAMIWalks?

                   I signed up for NAMIWalks because it is a fundraiser promoted by NAMI, which fights the stigma of mental illness nationwide.

2) But isn't autism a developmental disability?

                   Yes, autism is a developmental disability as it is classified now, but I also have clinical depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. My mother and aunts have Bipolar Disorder. Those are mental illnesses.

3) Why should we care about mental illness?

                   Mental illness torments about 1 in 4 people in the United States. The illnesses themselves

4) What is this stigma I keep hearing about mental illness?

                   Glad somebody asked that question. "Stigma" is the belief that there is inherently something wrong with a person's very existence because of one trait or another. For example, people with mental illnesses are, according to stigma, only good if they are nonexistent, because the average crazy one is amoral and going to kill you. Obviously, that is a stereotype, and not the average person with mental illness. But many people believe that sentence.

5) So stigma is based on stereotypes. What are other stereotypes about people with mental illness?

                    Here are a few:

                    People with mental illness have no morals.

                    People with mental illness should not be trusted.

                    People with mental illness do not have any real experiences of pain or discomfort.

                    People with mental illness are too loud for society.

                    People with mental illness do not have real religious experiences.

                    People with mental illness are liars.

                    People with mental illness cannot hold money right.

                    People with mental illness cannot live in polite society.

                    People with mental illness have no value.

                    People with mental illness will harm our children.

6) I thought that was all true! I mean, there's Michael Myers. He's crazy and he kills people. There's also Kane from the world of wrestling.

                    The media tends to portray people with mental illness in a negative light. Don't believe everything Hollywood tells you.

                    Well, I want to raise money for NAMIWalks because they have helped me with many things concerning mental illness, not only as a sufferer but as a family member as well. If you feel moved to give, feel free to do so,

I have found another set of myths to debunk. Now these particular myths are ones I have encountered. I will simply put down the myth, and tell my experience with it.

People with autism don't want friends. I have autism and I want friends. I may want to spend a little more time alone, but life is richer with friends. 

People with autism can't feel or express any emotion—happy or sad. I was called "Crybaby" as a child for being hurt so much. My mother certainly knows I can express emotions. There have even been times I was angry enough to cry - most women understand that one.

People with autism can't understand the emotions of others. As one with autism, I may have trouble picking up on subtle cues, but laughter, anger and tears I certainly understand. 

People with autism are intellectually disabled. I have been told I was not autistic for this very myth. One counselor changed my diagnosis because "with autism comes mental retardation," even though Temple Grandin was certainly not intellectually disabled. 

People with autism are just like Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man. I have been asked to do math equations, and have trouble calculating normally. I have been asked how many are left in a box a few times...I have no clue. But I can tell you about certain gemstones and their properties. Anyway, autism is a spectrum disorder - but I am sure you already knew that. I have seen close to the low end of functioning, and the high end of functioning.

People who display qualities that may be typical of a person with autism are just odd and will grow out of it. I have learned that autism is a disorder that can be lifelong.

People with autism will have autism forever. Recent studies show that some people can test out of the autism diagnosis after intensive intervention. 

Autism is just a brain disorder. Well, let's begin: there are gastrointestinal disorders, allergies (I have two), and food sensitivities. That is the talk behind gluten-free and dairy-free diets for those with autism. Fortunately, I have dodged the food sensitivity and gastrointestinal bullets. I have only had an allergy to generic Ritalin and Douglas Fir trees.

Autism is caused by bad parenting. This particular myth comes from a now-disproved theory stemming from the 1950s. It read that mothers who "lacked warmth" gave autism to their children. 

The prevalence of autism has been steadily increasing for the last 40 years. More like a sharp rise in the last ten years. I firmly believe that wider acceptance and diagnosis are the reasons for a larger prevalence.

Therapies for people with autism are covered by insurance. Not in Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee....at last check, only about half the states have mandatory coverage for those with autism.

Why do I debunk myths when they can find these same myths on other websites? It's quite simple, really. It is for getting the information out that these particular statements are wrong. It is to battle ignorance in the minds of anyone willing to hear my views. Myths cause ignorance, ignorance leads to stigma, stigma to prejudice, and prejudice to discrimination. I am here fighting what seems to be a losing battle against stigma every day.