Hi, my Name is Krystian Shaw.
Wow, I can’t believe that it’s been over 5 years now since I started running my own newsletter business. The Kamloops Self Advocate newsletter is growing bigger than ever. I now deliver 140 newsletters to 45 businesses around Kamloops. As a result, I now have had to hire another self-advocate to help with the deliveries. I also reach many more people far beyond Kamloops with soft copies online. You can also find copies of the newsletter at Self Advocate net. Since May is mental health week from the 6th to the 12th, I wrote about my own mental health struggles in the May issue and how I am personally fighting back against stigma and discrimination.
I am excited to be on the speakers list at Mood Disorders association of BC. and hope to be called out to a speaker’s event in Kamloops to do a workshop around my personal mental health issues, sharing my success story.
The Mood Disorders Association of BC (MDABC) is a nonprofit organization that provides treatment, support, education, and hope of recovery for people living with a mood disorder. I gave Mood Disorders association of BC lots of places to contact about speaking opportunities for me. For anyone interested in doing the same, especially in the Vancouver area, Darryl Lucas is the one to talk to. http://www.mdabc.net/
I believe using humor when dealing with your own mental health issues can be quite therapeutic. I was also so excited when I came across a link about David Granirer. He works for “Stand Up for Mental Health.” It’s an award-winning program, training people how to stand up to mental health. He believes laughing about mental health issues is no laughing matter unless you laugh at yourself about your own experiences. It was founded by a counselor who has experience in comedy and suffers from depression himself. David said, “Most people think you have to be nuts to do stand-up comedy. We offer it as a form of therapy! Stand Up for Mental Health teaches Stand Up Comedy to people with mental illness as a way of building confidence and fighting public stigma, prejudice, and discrimination.”
I would love to learn how to be a stand-up comedian around my personal mental health issues. It also fits into my work and personal life. I would love to learn techniques on how to share my story through comedy. David Granirer is always looking for mental health organizations throughout the world that can provide support to people. He can be reached at http://standupformentalhealth.com/
There are lots of supports out there for all those who are struggling with mental illness. Remember, we are not alone.
