From Recovery to Discovery Mental Health Peer Support Group

Reflecting on the Finding Your Voice Workshop 

Thursday, November 24th, 2016

6:30pm to 8:30pm 

           

Community Room

Atlantic Superstore – Barrington Street

1075 Barrington Street

Halifax, Nova Scotia

The From Recovery to Discovery Mental Health Peer Support Group is open to anyone affected, either directly or indirectly, by any type of mental illness, and this includes family members and friends.

Free!

Image credit

Thursday, November 24th, 2016, 6:30 pm

Reflecting on the Finding Your Voice Workshop

Earlier this fall Healthy Minds Cooperative offered a 6 week workshop called “Finding Your Voice” which was about “…working on creating and  sharing our Recovery story. The program focussed on exploring  life experiences in a safe  and supportive environment, with the intention of  building confidence to allow one to share their story  with family, friends or even a wider audience, if they so desire.”

Alan McGrath, part-time facilitator with FR2D, led these workshops and this week he, along with 2 of the participants, will be sharing their experiences with us and perhaps providing a roadmap for us to Find our Own Voice

Sign up for weekly email notices for FR2D here:  http://bit.ly/29O1hFP

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About the From Recovery to Discovery Mental Health Peer Support Group

The From Recovery to Discovery (FR2D) Mental Health Peer Support Group is special because it moves beyond the expectation of simply existing with minimal symptoms of mental illness.  Our message is that we all have the opportunity to manifest our strengths, to recover a sense of empowerment, and to live with meaning and purpose.  Through the mutual sharing of our own wisdom and experience, we are reminded to reach for hope and fulfillment in our lives, and to help one another realize our potential.

                                                                               

The FR2D Mental Health Peer Support Group is open to anyone living with any type of mental illness or mental health problem.  There is no cost to attend.  The meeting format generally involves an interactive presentation on topics of interest to the group in the first hour, and a group discussion during the second hour. 

The FR2D Mental Health Peer Support Group's meeting flyer (PDF) can be downloaded by clicking here.

If you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact:

Todd MacMillan, Operations Support, Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, by phoning 902-465-2601 (toll free 1-800-465-2601) or sending an email to todd@ssns.ca; or

Laura Burke, Peer Support Facilitator, Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, by sending an email tocontact@ssns.ca.

From Recovery to Discovery Mental Health Peer Support Group

A Summer Picnic

Thursday, September 1, 2016

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Community Room

Atlantic Superstore – Barrington Street

1075 Barrington Street

Halifax, Nova Scotia

The From Recovery to Discovery Mental Health Peer Support Group is open to anyone affected, either directly or indirectly, by any type of mental illness.

Free!

Thursday, September 1, 2016, 6:30 pm 

A Summer Picnic at Cornwallis Park in Halifax

Everyone Welcome!

Please note: We will meet in the Community room at the Superstore at 6:30pm and head over to the nearby Park together as a group.

You are invited to the From Recovery to Discovery Mental Health Peer Support Group’s Summer Picnic at Cornwallis Park in Halifax (corner of Barrington Street and South Street).  Come and enjoy some relaxing sunshine, informal peer support, and wonderful sandwiches.  Water and soft drinks will also be provided.  If you play a musical instrument, please bring it along!  In the case of rain, the picnic will be held indoors in the Community Room at the Atlantic Superstore - Barrington Street, 1075 Barrington Street, Halifax.

Sign up for weekly email notices for FR2D here:  http://bit.ly/29O1hFP

---

About the From Recovery to Discovery Mental Health Peer Support Group

The From Recovery to Discovery (FR2D) Mental Health Peer Support Group is special because it moves beyond the expectation of simply existing with minimal symptoms of mental illness.  Our message is that we all have the opportunity to manifest our strengths, to recover a sense of empowerment, and to live with meaning and purpose.  Through the mutual sharing of our own wisdom and experience, we are reminded to reach for hope and fulfillment in our lives, and to help one another realize our potential.

                                                                               

The FR2D Mental Health Peer Support Group is open to anyone living with any type of mental illness or mental health problem.  There is no cost to attend.  The meeting format generally involves an interactive presentation on topics of interest to the group in the first hour, and a group discussion during the second hour. 

The FR2D Mental Health Peer Support Group's meeting flyer (PDF) can be downloaded by clicking here.

If you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact:

Todd MacMillan, Resource Advisor, Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, by phoning 902-465-2601 (toll free 1-800-465-2601) or sending an email to todd@ssns.ca; or

Laura Burke, Peer Support Facilitator, Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, by sending an email to contact@ssns.ca.

Inverness County Mental Illness Family Education & Support Group

Monday, June 27, 2016

 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Date

Monday, June 27th, 2016

Time
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Place

Inverness Education Centre Academy

59 Veteran Court, Room No. 118

Topic
Coping as a Family

Everyone Welcome!

Do you have a loved one or friend who lives with a mental health and/or addiction problem? 

If Yes, this meeting is for you.  

With sharing comes hope, strength, and wisdom.

For further information about the Inverness County Mental Illness Family Education And Support Group, please contact Jubanti Dhan Toppo, Project Coordinator, Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, by calling (902) 631-1336, or by sending an email: coordinator@ssns.ca.

The Aspiring Workforce: Employment and Income for People with Serious Mental Illness

A report released today by the Mental Health Commission of Canada:

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire report (PDF), please click here.

Also see:

Issue: Aspiring Workforce

The Schizophrenia Society of Canada - VALUES

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download a PDF version of the above document, please click here.

Also visit:

Schizophrenia Society of Canada

Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

2013 Clinical Neurosciences Conference - Psychosis

Erin Hawkes – My Psychosis and its Treatment

Source: http://www.bcss.org/recordings-project/2013-clinical-neurosciences-recordings/erin-hawkes-die-girl-die-my-psychosis-and-its-treatment/     Also see:   When Quietness Came: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey With Schizophrenia 2013 Clinical Neurosciences Recordings

Elyn Saks: A tale of mental illness -- from the inside

Also see:

Elyn Saks

The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness

Schizophrenia is not a progressive brain disease

A December 4, 2012, posting by the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program:

Young people who experience a first episode of psychosis often receive a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Historically there has been the view that schizophrenia is a progressive, deteriorating condition and many clinicians were taught that point of view in their training.

When the field of Early Psychosis began to develop in the 1990s, a major theme was to discard the pessimistic attitude that clinicians held toward the possibility of significant recovery in psychotic disorders and replace it with a more balanced positive approach. The specialized Early Psychosis services that are now widely available are based on this attitude of realistic optimism.

As well, people with lived experience of psychosis, and their families, have increasingly insisted and demonstrated that recovery in schizophrenia is a realistic and attainable goal.

Yet studies of brain structure and function continue to produce data suggesting that there may be progressive changes associated with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

In an article published in the Schizophrenia Bulletin journal in November 2012, Dr. Robert Zipursky (pictured) a leader in psychosis reseach in Canada, along with eminent colleagues in the UK, reviews the current evidence related to the question of whether or not a diagnosis of Schizophrenia indicates the person has a progress brain disease.

The article reviews all the recent evidence from brain scans, as well as other sources of data, and concludes that “schizophrenia is not a malignant disease that inevitably deteriorates over time, but one from which most people can achieve a significant degree of recovery”.

The authors strongly urge clinicians to provide young people and their families with this up-to-date information so that the old myths regarding negative outcomes for people receiving a diagnosis of schizophrenia can be laid to rest.

For a free copy of the full article click here.

Landlords pitch in to help people with mental illness find housing

From the February 22nd edition of Information Morning:

The CBC's Rob North tells us about a new initiative that might make things better. [Note, the segment begins after a short advertisement for a podcast.]

Also see:

250 Homes

Community Living Initiative: The Bungalows

Memoir About Schizophrenia Spurs Others to Come Forward

An article published in today's edition of the The New York Times:

Researchers have long wondered how some people with schizophrenia can manage their symptoms well enough to build full, successful lives. But such people do not exactly line up to enroll in studies.

For one thing, they are almost always secretive about their diagnosis. For another, volunteering for a study would add yet another burden to their stressful lives.

But that is beginning to change, partly because of the unlikely celebrity of a fellow sufferer. In 2007, after years of weighing the possible risks, Elyn R. Saks [pictured], a professor of law at the University of Southern California, published a memoir of her struggle with schizophrenia, “The Center Cannot Hold.” It became an overnight sensation in mental health circles and a best seller, and it won Dr. Saks a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation “genius” award.

For psychiatric science, the real payoff was her speaking tour. At mental health conferences here and abroad, Dr. Saks, 56, attracted not only doctors and therapists, but also high-functioning people with the same diagnosis as herself — a fellowship of fans, some of whom have volunteered to participate in studies.

“People in the audience would stand up and self-disclose, or sometimes I would be on a panel with someone” who had a similar experience, Dr. Saks said. She also received scores of e-mails from people who had read the book and wanted to meet for lunch. She told many of them about the possibility of participating in a research project.

She now has two studies going, one in Los Angeles and another in San Diego, tracking the routines and treatment decisions of these extraordinary people. The movie producer Jerry Weintraub has optioned the book.

It has been a remarkable response, considering that the book was almost abandoned. Dr. Saks surveyed friends and colleagues for years before publishing it and got very mixed advice. Her husband was against it; the risks were too high. Academic colleagues warned her that coming out with a disorder as serious as schizophrenia could only harm her. “You want to be known as the schizophrenic with a job?” one said.

Her friend Stephen Behnke, director of ethics at the American Psychological Association, was supportive of her decision. “I remember talking about it just on the cusp of when she was going to send off the manuscript,” Dr. Behnke said. “I said that we needed to sit down and make sure she was ready for this. It was like she was about to jump off of a cliff.”

Jump she did. With the MacArthur money, she founded the Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy and Ethics to study mental health and society. She is now working on another book, “Mad Women: A Most Uncommon Friendship,” with the author Terri Cheney, who has written about her struggles with bipolar disorder.

“I was very lucky, being in academia, where people have been very accepting of this,” Dr. Saks said. “Most people struggling to manage a severe mental illness do not have the luxury to do what I did.”

Image credit

Also see:

A High-Profile Executive Job as Defense Against Mental Ills

Changing the face of Schizophrenia

The SSNS's 23rd Annual Conference

Registration is Open!

Friday, November 4th, 2011

8:45 am to 4:30 pm

The University Club

Dalhousie University

1 Alumni Crescent

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Topics to be covered:

• Cognitive remediation for schizophrenia - Dr. Susan R. McGurk, Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire

• An interactive session about antipsychotics and their side effects - Dr. David Gardner, Department of Psychiatry & College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia

• Peer support - Vince Daigle, Healthy Minds Cooperative, Halifax, Nova Scotia

• Psychosocial rehabilitation - The Beacon Program, Kentville, Nova Scotia

• Cognitive behavioural therapy and how it can help with relationships

• Employment - Gail Kelly, Connections Halifax, and staff of The Mindful Mango

• Promoting recovery through a Wellness Program - Dr. Zenovia Ursuliak, Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program and the Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University

Registration fees (includes lunch and two refreshment breaks)

Secure online conference registration is available by clicking here

Regular: $150

SSNS Member: $100

Student: $50

Un-Waged: $25

All-day parking passes are available for $10.

To download a mail-in conference Registration Form, please click here.

Ten conference bursaries are available for individuals who live with mental illness.

To become a member of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, please complete and mail in the Membership Form available by clicking here, along with a minimum tax-deductible donation of $15.00.

The chickadee was chosen to represent the theme of recovery because chickadees are friendly, hardy little birds that thrive in good times and bad. The bird is shown looking up to convey a feeling of hope.

Designer: Terri Vernon, SSNS member

Conference Sponsors

Please click on the sponsor's logos to visit their websites.

Schizophrenia: A Recovery

Recovery and Respect - Dr. Frank Shelp

Text accompanying the video:

Respect and recovery from a mental illness are inextricably linked, said Dr. Frank Shelp, Georgia's Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Shelp was addressing the 20th annual conference of the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network at St. Simons Island, August 2011.

Also see:

RESPECT International: Joel Slack

RESPECT International

The History of the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network: Larry Fricks

Peer-Run Employment Supports - Benefits, Roles, and Opportunities: George Brice

Visions for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities: Dr. Frank Shelp

Living with Schizophrenia

To view the entire video (25.5 minutes), please click here.

Also see:

Living with Schizophrenia: A Call for Hope and Recovery

Overcoming Schizophrenia

A New Blood-Based Diagnostic Aid for Schizophrenia

An letter to the editor published in the September 2011 edition of Psychiatric Services:

To the Editor: Many people with schizophrenia exhibit poor insight into and lack of acceptance of their illness (1,2). The absence of objective proof of this disease contributes to this problem. Investigators have been interested in developing a blood-based biomarker test to help identify a biological signature to aid in diagnosis of schizophrenia, particularly in the prodrome of the illness (3,4).

Such a test has recently been developed, validated, and marketed in the United States. This test, VeriPsych, uses a multiplex immunoassay technology that profiles a proprietary disease signature comprising 51 analytes. The test has been found to be 83% sensitive and specific in distinguishing persons with schizophrenia from those without the disorder; the study in which the test's validity was established included more than 500 patients in the development phase and more than 800 patients in the validation phase (5). However, little has been subsequently published about this test, and its clinical utility remains unclear.

Our treatment team administered the test to a 30-year-old woman with a five-year history of schizophrenia who did not accept the fact that she had schizophrenia and who had problems remaining adherent to antipsychotic medications. The test yielded a positive result for the diagnosis of schizophrenia (score of –9199), with a conditional probability score that indicated a 95% chance of having the illness. After being informed of these results, our patient began to accept that her symptoms could be attributed to schizophrenia. For the first time, she expressed interest in learning about schizophrenia, acknowledged a personal connection to her family history of the disorder, and accepted her need of antipsychotic medications. Her therapeutic alliance with her psychiatrist and treatment team has improved, she has enrolled in a college-level class, and her attitude toward antipsychotic treatment remains positive. Her psychiatrist notes that this remarkable change was the result of her confidence in the blood test results—for the first time she had objective data about her illness.

Improving insight and illness acceptance among patients with schizophrenia has proven to be no small task. Psychoeducation, meta-cognitive training, cognitive therapy, and family intervention aimed at developing an understanding and acceptance of schizophrenia have shown only some success (1). Our interest in the test was not to confirm a clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia but to help a patient with schizophrenia accept her illness. We feel that if this test or future serum tests are more widely utilized, then their use as an aid in helping people who have no illness insight or who lack acceptance of their illness may be an important application. We hope that our letter will bring attention to this new test and encourage further research to replicate and validate our results. We also need to develop a better understanding of the clinical and research uses of this blood-based diagnostic aid and of its potential role and place in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia.

Deanna L. Kelly, Pharm.D., B.C.P.P., Sheryl Thedford, Pharm.D. and Gopal Vyas, D.O.

Dr. Kelly is affiliated with the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.

When the test was administered, Dr. Thedford was with the Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland. She is now with the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy, Shenandoah University, and the Pharmacy Department, Winchester Medical Center, Winchester, Virginia.

Dr. Vyas is with Spring Grove Hospital Center, Baltimore.

Acknowledgments and disclosures

Rules Based Medicine supplied the VeriPsych test but had no involvement in the use of the test, the results, or publication.

The authors report no competing interests.

References

1. Lysaker PH, Buck KD, Salvatore G, et al: Lack of awareness of illness in schizophrenia: conceptualizations, correlates and treatment approaches. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics 9:1035–1043, 2009 [CrossRef][Medline]
2. Buckley PF, Wirshing DA, Bhushan P, et al: Lack of insight in schizophrenia: impact on treatment adherence. CNS Drugs 21:129–141, 2007 [Medline]
3. Schwarz E, Guest PC, Rahmoune H, et al: Identification of a biological signature for schizophrenia in serum. Molecular Psychiatry epub ahead of print PMID , 2011 [Medline]
4. Dudley E, Hassler F, Thome J: Profiling for novel protemonics biomarkers in neurodevelopmental disorders. Expert Review of Proteomics 8:127–136, 2011 [CrossRef][Medline]
5. Schwarz E, Izmailov R, Spain M, et al: Validation of a blood-based laboratory test to aid in the confirmation of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Biomarker Insights 5:39–47, 2010 [Medline]

The Canadian Medical Association Awards Medal of Honour to Dr. Austin Mardon

An August 16th media release from the Canadian Medical Association:

OTTAWA, Aug. 16, 2011 /CNW/ - The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) will present the 2011 CMA Medal of Honour to Dr. Austin Mardon, PhD, who has demonstrated outstanding public commitment to raising awareness of mental health issues and diminishing the stigma and discrimination faced by Canadians living with mental illness.

"The CMA Medal of Honour recognizes personal contributions to the advance of medical research and education," said CMA President Dr. Jeff Turnbull. "Dr. Mardon has worked tirelessly to help Canadians better understand the issues around mental illness. In courageously talking openly about his own experiences, he is truly making a difference in coaxing mental illness out of the shadows in this country."

Diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of thirty, Dr. Mardon uses his own experience and his road to recovery in advocating in the areas of stigma, service delivery, awareness and education. He tries to improve the lives of those with schizophrenia through public education. His efforts have led him meet with politicians, clergy, academics and others in positions to effect change. He has influenced public policy in Alberta through his service as vice-chair of the Alberta Disabilities Forum steering committee and as chair of its low-income working group; as a member of the Premier's Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities; as an addiction and mental health committee member of Alberta Health's service integration working group; and as chair of the Edmonton Champions' Centre advisory committee. He also was instrumental in winning changes to Alberta's income assistance program for the severely handicapped.

"I have put my experiences out there for all to see, but it hasn't been easy and for some people it's impossible," said Dr. Mardon. "My goal continues to be to see the unfair and debilitating stigma our society holds against the mentally ill wiped out for all time."

Austin Mardon, PhD, has been a public educator and tireless advocate for the mentally ill, particularly those with schizophrenia, since he was diagnosed with that illness in 1992. At the time he was a promising graduate student and Antarctic explorer, and the diagnosis of schizophrenia could have ended his academic career and severely limited his prospects in life. Instead, he survived many setbacks through his sheer determination to continue his studies, to make a difference, to contribute to society, and to help others.

Dr. Mardon graduated with a major in geography from the University of Lethbridge in 1985. The following year, at age 24, he was investigating meteorite impacts 170 km from the South Pole as a junior field member on an Antarctic meteorite recovery expedition sponsored by NASA and the National Science Federation. He received the U.S. Antarctic Service Medal for his work. However, the extreme hardships of the expedition affected him mentally and physically. While he went on to earn masters degrees in science (South Dakota State University) and education (Texas A&M University) and published a number of articles and books, his health issues persisted. At the age of 30 he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Although some of his abilities are compromised by the disease, he earned a PhD in geography from Greenwich University, Australia; continued his remarkable publication record, including articles in both Science and Nature; was elected an International Fellow and Corresponding Fellow of the Explorers Club of New York; and was inducted into the International Academy of Astronautics.

Equally impressive has been his work on behalf of the mentally ill. In addition to giving countless interviews to the media on the topic of mental illness, he has published articles about faith and schizophrenia, homelessness, medication, and income support. He has provided leadership as a member of the board of directors of both the Edmonton and Alberta chapters of the Schizophrenia Society, and for a number of years he was coordinator of the Alberta Mental Health Self-Help Network.

"I hope to soon see the day when schizophrenia is treated like any other disease and is finally detached from the stigma that makes a difficult burden to bear even worse," added Dr. Mardon.

Dr. Mardon has received a number of awards, including the Order of Canada (2007). Others include: the Flag of Hope Award (2001) and the Bill Jefferies Family Award (2007) of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada; the Distinguished Alumni Award of the University of Lethbridge (2002); the Presidents Award of the Alberta chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association (2002); the C.M. Hincks Award from the national division of the Canadian Mental Health Association (2007); and the Medal of Honour of the Alberta Medical Association (2010).

A popular member of the Speakers' Bureau of Alberta, Dr. Mardon has publicly assisted the medical profession by supporting development of policy positions that have helped medical providers treat those with mental illness.

Dr. Mardon is the 28th recipient of the CMA Medal of Honour, the highest award bestowed upon someone who is not a member of the medical profession. He will receive the award at a ceremony at the D.F. Cook Recital Hall, Memorial University, in St. John's, N.L., on Aug. 24 as part of the CMA's 144th annual meeting.

For further information:

Lucie Boileau, Manager, Media Relations
Tel: 613-731-8610 or 1-800-663-7336 ext. 1266
Mobile: 613-447-0866
lucie.boileau@cma.ca

Photo credit

Also see:

Austin Mardon to receive honorary Doctor of Laws degree from University of Alberta

Austin Mardon on Schizophrenia

One Man’s Journey Through Crime, Drugs, Schizophrenia and Rehabilitation

An article and video posted yesterday by the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange:

By Leonard Witt

When Andrew Peterman of Idaho first came into the juvenile justice system at age 15, he did not know that schizophrenia was driving his anger, which in turn was resulting in arrests and illicit drug and alcohol usage. In time, thanks to juvenile detention and treatment for his schizophrenia he has been able to straighten out his life.

In fact, he has come so far on his journey that the Coalition for Juvenile Justice awarded him the 2011 National CJJ Spirit of Youth Award to “recognize and celebrate a young adult…who has made great strides through involvement with the juvenile justice system, overcome personal obstacles and is today making significant contributions to society.” In the video below by Leonard Witt, Peterman tells of his journey through crime, drugs, schizophrenia and rehabilitation.

Also see:

The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's YouTube Channel

Should state mental health institutions close?

An article published in the March 18th edition of the Asbury Park Press

By Valerie Fox

Recently I read a lengthy editorial from a mental health advocate who stated strongly that institutions should close and have all mentally ill people treated in the community. The writer works for a large mental health community provider, which has probably influenced her opinion. In this editorial, no thought was given for people who cannot live in the community, but instead need the shelter of a long-term care facility.

Having been involved in direct care in the mental health system as a consumer-provider and having visited many people in institutions and in the community while serving on boards and committees, it is my opinion that, unfortunately, not all mentally ill people have responded to medication. For some, a number of meds are tried, but none give freedom from serious symptoms to be able to seek and live a good quality of life.

I have met other people who do not have insight into their illnesses and the need to take medication. These people are very vulnerable to becoming victims or victimizing others because they are not living in reality, but instead are living in the grip of voices and delusions.

For myself, after living homeless for approximately two years, I initiated being sent to an institution. I did not know I was ill, but I did know enough that going to a community hospital would not help me. I would be treated very well but, once I was stabilized, I would be returned to the community as I had been a few times while homeless. For me, this short hospitalization was not enough time for healing to take a firm hold on me.

When in long-term care, I had more time to think about my life and where it had gone, and how to get back the good life I had known prior to homelessness; I had been very traumatized by homelessness, and I was given the chance to slowly adjust to re-entering the community with strong linkage, especially housing options.

I am happy that many people can live in the community while living with mental illness. However, I don't think we should lose sight that not all people can and will need sheltered care for some period of time, whether long-term or a few months.

Let us keep the option of long-term care for those who need it; and let us continue building innovative community programs. Both are needed in my opinion to continue to meet the needs of people living with mental illness in New Jersey.


Valerie Fox of Parsippany is founder and president of the Morris County Mental Health Coalition. She is in recovery, having lived with schizophrenia for many years. She is a mental health advocate and writes on mental health topics.

Also see:

Personal Accounts: Schizophrenia and Socialization

Eleanor Owen's tireless battle for mental-health care

An article published in the March 12th edition of The Seattle Times:

Having a son with schizophrenia, Seattle's Eleanor Owen knows firsthand the heartache and worry families face. She joined others to found the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

By Maureen O'Hagan

HE IS your child.

You watch him go from artist to hermit, from scholar to stranger. He starts sleeping in the basement, in a box. You tell yourself it's an adolescent phase.

He walks the streets, barefoot and disheveled, a blanket around his shoulders and letters shaved into his head. Could it be drugs?

Then one day you find a noose he'd hung from a pipe.

Another day, he gets arrested after creating a disturbance at the train station, trying to get from Seattle to San Francisco on a movie-ticket stub.

Eleanor Owen [pictured] was teaching and staging children's plays. Her husband, John, was an engineer. They were well-educated and comfortable and endlessly resourceful. Yet they felt helpless.

Their son's life, Eleanor says, "became more and more tragic."

At some point, she realized two things.

Her son had schizophrenia.

And she would fight for him with all her might.

To read the entire story, please click here.


Photo credit

Ontario's doctors welcome report on mental health

Please click on the image to magnify it.

A December 23rd media release from the Ontario Medical Association:

Ontario's doctors welcome the government's release of Respect, Recovery, Resilience: Recommendations for Ontario's Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, and look forward to reviewing the report in detail. The Expert Advisory Panel and the All-Party Select Committee are to be commended for the extensive work and consultation process that has been undertaken in order to develop a broad range of recommendations. Ontario's doctors are eager to get down to business with a comprehensive plan to help patients access the care they need and deserve.

"Patients with mental illness or addictions and their families have been calling for improvements for far too long," said Dr. Mark MacLeod, President of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). "With a decade of research already completed, it's time to take action to ensure that patients have timely access to quality care."

The OMA shares many of the same concerns outlined in the report; the existing lack of service integration and access to appropriate treatment and counselling services need serious attention. More needs to be done to ensure there's a program in place to allow for a collaborative approach to coordinate their care.

"For patients living with mental illness and addiction, time is crucial. We have to identify and implement the best methods to reduce wait times for patients requiring specialized psychiatric care to ensure that they receive the care they so urgently need." Dr. Desi Brownstone, Chair, OMA Section of Psychiatry

"Patients deserve a coordinated effort to give them the opportunity to live fulfilling lives which goes beyond the boundaries of medicine. We need to do a better job of providing social supports such as housing and employment for our patients. This will go a long way in addressing the well-being of patients in Ontario. This is important for all patients, but particularly applies to patients with mental illness, where a collaborative approach within and beyond medicine will better meet their needs." Dr. Ross Male, Chair, OMA Section of General and Family Practice

"Children and young adults suffering from mental illness and addictions are falling through the cracks of the health care system. We need to ensure our children have timely access to the care they need which is close to home and coordinated by their community paediatrician, to help manage their illness and their lives. We need to work together to implement a strategy that addresses the gaps in patient care, that children and their families face every day." Dr. Hirotaka Yamashiro, Chair, Pediatrics Section, OMA


For further information:

Contact OMA Media Relations at 416-340-2862 or 1-800-268-7215 ext. 2862