When Mental Illness Strikes

When mental illness strikes, it can be very devastating.  Mental illness costs society an enormous amount of resources yet it is one area that can be misunderstood.   It is an area of health beset with stigma.   

Defying Mental Illness is looking to speaking to families and leaders of ALL communities including those from ethnic minorities, to encourage early help, treatment and support within their communities and churches.  There is a pressing need to address mental illness.  Churches are very instrumental in dealing with social issues of this nature.  People are usually reluctant to come out and seek a reduction in the incidence of mental illness in their communities.  Defying Mental Illness is seeking to encourage a change in these.

There are a lot of stigma issues  and more so within ethnic minorities.   Here is what NVLifeMagazine had to say recently regarding mental illness within the black community:

I believe the state of our mental health is definitely something we all need to encourage each other to be open about.   It is such a taboo in many societies, such as my own Black community and it needs to be more of a priority that we start to really express ourselves amongst one another freely and openly.   There is no such thing as mental illness being a ‘White’ or even ‘Black’ issue.   This is a human issue and as the rate of suicide rises more and more each day, it is vital that we stop it from becoming an epidemic.   I want to urge communities to start talking, start doing more to raise awareness and families (as well as individuals), also need to start actively making the effort to educate themselves on understanding mental illness.

World Mental Health Awareness Week is from Sunday 5 October to Saturday 11 October 2014.  Defying Mental Illness is hosting a workshop When Mental Illness Strikes themed “Enough is Enough” on Saturday 11 October 2014 in Croydon, South London.  This workshop is open to everyone particularly those challenged with mental illness, their caregivers and leaders of these.

Here’s a line up of what to expect at ‘When Mental Illness Strikes’ event:

• In the workshop, people who are challenged with mental illness will have the opportunity to share their stories with a view of giving all delegates a better understanding of different experiences of mental illness.
• Health professionals will give practical tips to caregivers on how to tell when someone is going down the path to mental illness, psychology and how to communicate in situations where people are at risk.
• Experiences of dealing with loss will be shared along with advice on coping mechanisms.
• Performances with monologues and singing liven up the event further with young talent exhibited on the day.
• Getting to know yourself and raising the alarm will be touched upon by someone who has been through the mental health system through many years of crises and hospital admissions.
• Issues such as avoiding self-neglect, being inclusive, accountability and safety in the home will be delved into for the benefit of those challenged with mental health issues.   People will be prompted to understand and recollect when they have been faced with crisis, what the triggers have been, as well as recognising behavioural changes and signals.
• Crisis Management by Leaders and Caregivers is an essential part of dealing with mental health challenges.  This will be dealt with by a Health Professional with experience of dealing with this in a social setting.  Too often, this is an area that is poorly dealt with.  Proper Crisis Management is effective in reducing the impact of mental health challenges at gatherings and events thus reducing its effects in communities

This is the first of what is intended to be a series of workshops  on When Mental Illness Strikes, with a view to establishing peer support networks and raising greater awareness in communities of early intervention in mental health issues.

Please register to guarantee your space.  Alternatively, come along on the day.  We look forward to welcoming you this and future When Mental Illness Strikes events/seminars.

Let us know your expectations…

About The Author

Zoe

Zoe met Eze (Chuck) in the 14th year of what turned out to be an 18 year ‘journey’ with mental illness. They got married less than a year of meeting with Zoe fully knowing Chuck had a diagnosis of mental illness. In the 18th year, Chuck defied the odds of mental illness. A consultant psychiatrist signed him off the mental health system with a bill of NO MENTAL ILLNESS. The consultant was so amazed by Chuck’s astonishing recovery that he even questioned how Chuck was diagnosed with mental illness all those years before, in the first place! Today Chuck is free from medication, its dependency and hospitalizations. Zoe’s award nominated book, DEFYING THE ODDS, chronicles the highs and ‘lows’ of this journey. Zoe, often writing from the standpoint of a caregiver, clearly understands that mental illness does not only affect an individual challenged with the disease, but also families, marriages and society as a whole.

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