Skip to main content

New Article and Screening of the Living with Schizophrenia Documentary

 
I had a busy week with interviews about my personal experiences with schizophrenia including that with Ms. Jackie Jones from Black America Web, and the the screening of the documentary Living with Schizophrenia: A Call for Hope and Recovery which was held at the Benjamin Steakhouse in New York City on Thursday, July 19, 2012. To watch the half hour film about three individuals living with schizophrenia- the misconceptions, struggles, and recovery, visit www.choicesinrecovery.com.

The interview with Ms. Jones was very conversational. She asked me a few questions about my experiences and wrote a very informative article which I am excited about. Here is how the article began:



Before Ashley Smith gave a presentation before a group of law enforcement officials about schizophrenia, one of the officials had told the audience before she arrived that “there is no hope” for a person with the mental illness.

Fortunately, she wasn’t in the room when he made the remarks.

When Smith finished her talk, the official came up to her and told her he was “blown away.”

“Afterwards, he told me he hadn’t seen a presentation go so well and it was an education; he was astonished,” said Smith, who is one of the people with the condition featured in “Living with Schizophrenia,” a documentary premiering  8:30-10 a.m. Thursday at Benjamin Steakhouse on E. 41st Street in New York City.

“It’s a manageable illness,” Smith said. “There are a few misconceptions out there, that there is no hope for schizophrenia; all people with schizophrenia are violent; it’s caused by poor parenting. It’s not true.

To read this article in its entirety visit BlackAmericaWeb.com or click here.


The screening of the documentary was intimate and unique in that it gave me and opportunity to meet with and to discuss my story in greater detail with a group of journalists over brunch, and also to learn about them. The Benjamin Steakhouse set aside a private area for us to view and to discuss the documentary on their upper level, and to eat well, which I was very pleased with. Overall, the event was eloquent.

Myself along with two individuals, Josh and Rebecca, also living with the illness and who are featured in the documentary participated in the screening, which was moderated by Dr. Xavier Amador, one of the experts also featured in this film. Dr. Amador was very well spoken asking myself, and others featured in the documentary, about our experiences sharing our stories and the messages we want to share about schizophrenia from our perspectives, and that of a caregiver- Rebecca's mother Claire. He shared recent studies from different online resources, and his personal connection to his study and practice of schizophrenia.

I really enjoyed meeting with the other individuals also featured in the film. I liked hearing everyone's perspective on sharing their story, messages, and journey, it reinforces that there are many faces to schizophrenia, and by sharing our stories we can overcome schizophrenia and the stigma associated with it.

To learn more about schizophrenia visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Choices in Recovery, Embracing My Mind, Inc., and Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia (Canada).




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

No, Please, That's Not Me

Prior to my diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia I did some things that I am not proud of. Now that I look back on things I blame my illness for my poor judgment. I am by no means condoning the behavior I carried out, and will share with you here. I will provide a few instances where my behavior was unlike me and caused an uproar. This post shows how schizophrenia affects other people. This post is for the family members and friends of people with schizophrenia, or showing bizarre behaviors. First, I asked my mother permission to give my friend a statue that was in my mother's house. My mother agreed to give my friend the statue, however, I took her permission a step further to get rid of what she had at my discretion. At the time I did not live with my mother who was away on a business trip. My mother buys and sells things so she had a lot of collectibles, antiques, and other interesting stuff. While my friend and me were in my mother's house my friend saw a lot of stuff that s

What Is Remission?

Remission is the absence of symptoms for at least six months with the support of medication. In other words, a doctor who has never seen you before may not diagnose you as a person with schizophrenia anymore. Remission is also high functioning in several aspects of life, living independently, goinig to school or to work, and socializing with other people. However, this does not mean the patient is cured or the illness has went away, the illness is still present, however, under control. Remission is achieved with the assistance of medication. "Published studies suggest that 10% to 20% of people with schizophrenia have remission of their illness as they get older, 20% get worse, but in a large majority (60% to 70%), the course of illness remains relatively unchanged." To reach remission it is recommended that you aim for a stress-free environment. Therefore, do things to relieve stress such as journaling, exercising, talking to friends, listening to or creating music, making a

by A Guest Blogger: For Addicts, Recovery Means Creating a New Life

If you’re struggling to maintain your sobriety, you aren’t alone. There are millions of fighters just like you working toward reclaiming their lives from drugs and alcohol. There are a few common traits that many successful recovering addicts share. Keep reading to find out what they are and how you can follow in their footsteps. They establish new patterns You can’t continue to live your life the same was you did when you were using. You must change and adapt to your newfound sobriety. Consider a career change; many recovering addicts find they have more success by starting their own business. One career that is easy to enter is dog walking. As a dog walker , you’ll reap many rewards including getting to spend time with dogs, which can actually boost your recovery efforts and stave off depression. Dogs have been used as part of a treatment plan for users as young as 11 and come with the added benefit of helping you stay physically active. Plus, being with