I do not know about public awareness, but for those of us with the illnesses ... support and education would be nice!
Atnea in the USA has a program for its Bipolar clients. Psycholgists, psychitrasts, nutritionists, the whole nine-yards 24/7 to get them stable and back on the ball!!! where I want to be. Clients can call or see all kinds of specialists. I live in Quebec where we are supposted to have universal healthcare - we have universal waiting lines! I called a month ago for a second appointment with my new psychiatrist and still no availability. I had to wait 5 months to get him! and 2 months for a 1st appointment then. Two years ago when I wanted to get help I waited 6 months for a psychologist at the local clinic, and then I was given to a person who was back from sick-leave and could see me once every two months for 45 minutes.
So when I see ads focusing attention on me I feel uncomfortable. Like a big sandwich sign is on me... mental health patient # 4 million 32 in line and ... waisting your resources. Takes medications and still wants to talk for 60 minutes about the stress you face as part of your everyday life!!! While baby with cancer awaits treatments due to lack of resources... (the children's hospitals have cute ads).
Diva, I do not know if the ads are no good!!!
All i mentioned is that they make me really uncomfortable. And somewhere I think the budgets in healthcare need more funds being prioritzed towards patient care rather than public opinion. I would like to go to the pharmacy and get a booklet of 6 months of mood-charts for my purse like those on anti-coagulants and those who check their blood-pressure. I would like to go to a doctor's office and see that they have up-dated their knowledge on the basics of my illness and can talk to me about the latest finding and hopeful studies. I would like to go to the local health clinic and see a class or seminar for dealing with stress or learing good life habits!!! goodness even if it means they spend 4 hours reading my "bipolar for dummies" book.
i do not have the ideal solution. Only the one that would be good, right now, for me.
commercials in general are pretty stupid -love the cavemen though. 
