More on "Mad Pride" and "Knowing Your Rights Day" ...

Happy Mad Pride Day!

July 14 – A Universal Day of Liberation from old stereotypical thinking about mental health and mental illnesses. To challenge mental health discrimination and prejudice. To educate and enlighten and declare ourselves. To celebrate who we are, educate ourselves and others and remember our history. To break out of denial. To stop being afraid. To end our silence.

To be proud.

Wow, is "Mad Pride" ever a red flag issue, though? At least on this continent.  

Not in England and other countries, where "madness" is an increasingly acceptable word to describe having a diagnosis of a psychiatric or "mental illness" and that's very significant. 

Just click onto the comments to my last post, In the mood for Mad Pride 2009 to see an intriguing discussion that took place over the weekend. Not quite a repeat of what happened in the comments to my post about 2008 Mad Pride Week. That really upset people. Big time. 

So, we're making progress. One step at a time.

This morning, I received a Facebook invitation from Mary Ellen Copeland of the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery to join her group called "Mental Health Recovery and WRAP© – Wellness Recovery Action Plan". Copeland is one of the leaders in the U.S. mental health recovery movement and she has a remarkable recovery story, herself. 

I met the Stephen Pocklington at a conference last year and posted all about WRAP. These eight week programs offered in Toronto and all over the U.S. Worth considering if you want to add more tools to help you with your recovery. It works!

There is a profound relationship between Mad Pride and Mental Health Recovery. As I see it, they go hand in hand, even if you choose not to describe yourself as "mad" and feel more comfortable with the term "mental illness." Whatever works for you!

My friend Tufts University psychiatrist Ron Pies, a valued presence here at "Coming Out Crazy",  suggests that being very specific is probably most helpful and healthy. 

Here's what he says: "As for how people diagnosed with so-called mental disorders ought to refer to their conditions, I think its often best to name the specific condition, such as 'I have an anxiety disorder' or 'I have bouts of depressions.'"

Everyone is different and should find their own "comfort zone" – and it's doesn't have to be carved in stone. You may find yourself changing and evolving. "Coming Out Crazy" is a process. It can take years.

These days, I don't run around town saying seriously that "I'm utterly mad." (Although, I do less seriously, in certain situations, among friends and people who know me.) What I usually say is that "I'm in recovery from a unipolar mood disorder. I'm not bipolar. I have never been clinically depressed. I get high. Very high. Not happy. Insane, crazy, nuts, mad!" 

I feel comfortable making a little fun of myself and playing with words and I can pull it off. I've been out all my life. I've had years of practice. It wasn't as easy when I was much younger, as it is now.

It depends on context, of course. Where you are. Who you're with. We're all different. I'll often add that, "This is a very rare, very serious mood disorder. I've been hospitalized about 20 times for mania. I get psychotic. It's no fun. Trust me! But I haven't had a major manic episode since 1988." 

When I talk about myself that way, more often than not, people are comfortable asking me questions. That's when I can self-advocate and educate. It's a win-win-win! That's how you can bring about change, one person at a time. It works. 

That's my brand of Mad Pride. Why don't you try to think about yours. Everyone feels differently. How do you describe yourself and feel about yourself? Why not comment about your brand of Mad Pride and if you don't have one, pretend you do. Put words to your thoughts. Brainstorm. Add your thoughts and comment on them, here.

After all, this is Mad Pride Week. It's the one week in the year when Madness is on a lot of minds. Have some fun with it. Think about some positives. Break out. Be a little optimistic. Cockeyed Optimistic! Think outside your box! Forget about the old resonating ideas for a minute. Just be free. Take a deep breath and for a moment, remember that you are you! There's no one on earth like you. Never has been and never will be. You have special gifts. Try to turn your thinking around. 

Be proud of where you are right now. If you're here, you're in a good, safe place. And we're all here together with you!

One last word – five really important words, actually – before I list highlight tomorrow's Mad Pride Week activities. 

These are the five key concepts for Mental Health Recovery according to Mary Anne Copeland.

• Hope

• Personal Responsibility

• Education

• Self Advocacy

• Support

Meditate about them, too.

Now them, tomorrow, Wednesday July 15th, is "Know Your Rights" Day during Toronto's Mad Pride Week. 

Here's what's on tap. Click here for an overview and details about location.

From 11 a.m. to 12 noon: The Dream Team, a group of "consumer survivors" who advocate for safe, secure and affordable house for people living with mental health and addiction issues will share their stories. Over the last year The Dream Team worked with various groups and communities across Ontario to explore the issue of discriminatory zoning. In this presentation members of the Dream Team will illustrate the concept of discriminatory zoning and the impact on people with mental health and addiction issues. 


At 12 noon to 12:15 p.m. The Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre or PARC Ambassadors Program is a remarkable grassroots community success story. This Parkdale Community consultation program engages, informs and consults with residents and stakeholders in the community in relation to their building development at Edmond Place. Nine Ambassadors, PARC Members, receive remuneration for their peer and member driven work, which incorporates and builds on the principles and values of the recovery model and PARC’s Mission – PARC – A Place Where People Rebuild Their Lives. 

When the Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre acquired Edmond Place from the City of Toronto to develop affordable, social housing for marginalized persons in our community there was extreme opposition to PARC by residents and stakeholders in Parkdale. Since the PARC Ambassadors Program's inception in September 2007 this inner-city community has evolved from a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) neighbourhood to a YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) neighbourhood. 

The PARC Ambassadors Program is proof positive that through community organizing and public relations, marginalized people have a commitment to their community. They have all the necessary attributes and capabilities to be productive, to contribute to their neighbourhood and to society. They can a do live a healthy, meaningful and fulfilling life. This is a powerful snapshot of recovery.

PARC Ambassadors will discuss their work at this presentation 

12:15 noon to 1 p.m. Lunch – light refreshments generously provided by The Raging Spoon

*RSVP: http://www.madpridetoronto@yahoo.ca

Special lunch time presentations featuring Laughter Yoga with Salimah Kassim-Lakha, and more!

1 p.m. – 2 p.m. – Presentation – Legal Jeopardy by Parkdale Community Legal Services (PCLS)

2 p.m. to  3 p.m. – David Carmichael

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS

When it comes to treating your own mental illnesses, we often assume that doctors and other mental heal professionals always know what’s best. During this presentation, David will raise a few issues about scientific drug research and help you understand, based on his own experience recovering from major depression, how important it is for people living with mental illnesses to take responsibility for their own recovery and rehabilitation by asking their doctors and mental health workers questions, questions and more questions, and by becoming regularly physically active. 

David holds a masters degree in physical education and is the former director of national projects at ParticipACTION. After experiencing his first major depression in 2003 at the age of 45 and a relapse in 2004, he tragically learned the importance of good mental health and does not assume that doctors always know what’s best.

A Q & A session will follow.

3 p.m. – 4 p.m. Street Nurse Beth Pelton 

Beth Pelton is a registered nurse currently working with Street Health Community Nursing. Most of her nursing work has been in the community, and with people living with cancer. Her experiences have included working in medical and geriatric and psychiatric nursing, practising from a Harm Reduction Philosophy.

Mad Pride can help you on your Recovery journey. Go for it!

Comments

[Parkdale Madder]

FORWARD THIS EMAIL - THIS EVENT GROWS ORGANICALLY - CELEBRATE MAD! PRIDE 2009 IN THE CITY OF TORONTO

TORONTO, CANADA - Ruth Ruth Stackhouse, Peggy-Gail and other facilitators with the MAD! Pride Organizing Committee enjoyed a successful day 1 of MAD! Pride 2009, a lived-experience-positive event celebrating spirit, survivors and consumers committed to building new relationships and understanding within communities connected by marginalization and inspired by independence. We are psychiatric survivors and committed to growth and new horizons.

We've attached a roll of photocards documenting the event so far some of today's speakers including Barbara Hall and David Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. Vendors, speakers, musicians, artisans are welcome all week. Out of This World cafe, The Raging Spoon are catering and organizations like Houselink and C/S Info are there in support of vendors, artists and psychiatric survivors. The event is organic, it grows with word of mouth. See Heinz Klein at the May Robinson Auditorium all week long to be scheduled for inclusion as musician, poet or guest speaker. Bring poems, kind heart and artwork to share and recycle with others committed to health management.

The photocards attached may be edited to include your best pictures so reply to this email with any extra photos or additions to the list. Heinz might be able to edit your contributions into the live photofeed at the event so feel free to submit. Special thanks to all sponsors including Gerstein Centre, Sound Times, A-WAY Courier, PCIC, PCLC and other community agencies in the city.

Contact Ruth Ruth Stackhouse http://www.friendlyspike.ca/
@ 416 516 4740
or attend LIVE ALL WEEK LONG @
20 WEST LODGE AVENUE, TORONTO

MAD! Pride Breaks the Stigma of Mental Illness
http://tinyurl.com/nx8se8

July 13th to 17th has been proclaimed MAD! Pride Week by the City of Toronto. Despite the inside workers strike, a week-long festival recognizing psychiatric survivors, consumers and other mad folks - originally scheduled for the Metro Hall Rotunda - will go ahead all week long at the May Robinson Auditorium in Parkdale.

More @ http://tinyurl.com/nx8se8

[Sandra Kiume]

Happy Mad Pride Day!

[Sandy Naiman]

Hi Parkdale Madder and Sandra Kiume, et al...

I'm thrilled that you commented and shared such timely information and links to other Mad Pride Toronto 2009 sites the other day. Please forgive me for taking so long to respond. To be honest, it's Madness here! :-))

Sincere thanks for visiting us and contributing to the culture and awareness of our "Coming Out Crazy" community! We need these exchanges to know about you and your work.

Mad Pride is a vitally important concept for change, for education and for spreading the Recovery message! Mad Pride is all about Hope! We desperately need universal Hope.

"Coming Out Crazy" is about Hope. So are both of you!

Bravo to both of you. Keep up your great work!

Cheers and here's to "Mad Pride 2009!" – to Mad Pride everyday and everywhere!

Have a great Mad Pride Parade and Bed Push in Toronto on Saturday! I'll do my best to join you!

Hugs,
sln