S01E30 Patrick J. Kennedy, Politics of Mental Health
Kennedy: Treat Mental Illness Like Cancer
American Mental Health, Addiction Treatment “discrimination”
April 25, 2021 – Former U.S. Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy kicks off national Mental Health Awareness Month on the Retail Politics Podcast with Gerry Shields stating that America’s failure to adequately treat mental illness and addiction is driving overdose deaths and mass shootings.
The son of former U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy discusses his own mental illness and addiction to deadly opiates, leaving Congress to start the Kennedy Forum, advocating for better mental health and addiction treatment.
Kennedy lauded the nation’s commitment to fighting cancer, but notes we have spent trillions – with a T – on that battle.
“We’ve spent a fraction of that on mental health,” he said.
Listen to the Retail Politics Podcast with Gerry Shields at http://www.retailpoliticspodcast or on Apple or Spotify.