Skip to main content

NOV. 13 - Virtual Anti-Stigma Panel Discussion


Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 7-8 PM Eastern Time I will participate in a virtual panel discussion sponsored by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, "Champions of Science: The Art of Ending Stigma." This will be a lively conversation that I don't want you to miss!

This event is important to me because people living with a mental health conditions like myself cope, and manage, our diagnosis in diverse ways including artistic means. The Champions of Science: The Art of Ending Stigma is an anti-stigma campaign by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, who I support and worked with in the past through a documentary, Living with Schizophrenia: A Call for Hope and Recovery (available to view on YouTube).

As an advocate, peer, and writer I am looking forward to this conversation to share the truth about mental illness, which is recovery is possible despite stigma and setbacks. Individuals living with mental health conditions can overcome silence and stigma by coping within the arts. One of my coping skills is writing. In fact, I maintain my personal blog, "Overcoming Schizophrenia," which shares my lived experience and resources, since 2008.


This virtual panel discussion will be moderated by Vickie Mabrey as we explore the stories of Jeff Sparr, co-founder of Peace Love, a mental health advocate, and art teacher, Dr. Adam Savit, a psychiatrist and Director of Clinical Research at Janssen, and myself, a lived experience expert, and author of What's On My Mind? Do join the conversation with questions and comments to show your support! Thank you, Ashley Smith.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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
2 comments
Read more

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
5 comments
Read more

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
9 comments
Read more