Not long after I
completed my training, I received a call from the director of “In
Our Own Voice”! She suggested I do a presentation with another
presenter!
This is the real
thing! I have always been nervous of talking in front of groups of
people!However I wanted to get my personal story out!
What do I do first?
I started practicing my speech in front of my AL best friend, Bear
and the cats. Later on I enlisted Marianne and her cousin to be a
part of my audience. The more I practiced, the more my confidence
grew. With the encouragement of many of my friends I knew I was
capable of giving my presentation!
My first speaking
engagement was at a day treatment. Therefore I would be speaking to
people like me. These people were struggling with mental illnesses as
well. My partner was a good singer and funny too! After we presented
I knew this was something I wanted to continue doing.
My AL best friend
and I made dozens of calls to get me booked for IOOV. We talked to
the director of the group homes of Altapointe. I was able to do
several presentations at different group homes. One of the consumers
liked me so much that she tried to kiss me right on the lips!
In January I spoke
to the nursing students at Springhill College. I was extra nervous
because this was my first non consumer group! Getting my story out
overpowered my nervousness! At the end Sister encouraged the students
to ask us anything. They had some interesting questions to ask us.
They were really interested in our presentation.
My most recent
presentations were for the staff at the Salvation Army. They were at
two different locations. The first one was for the women's center.
Today I talked at the men's center. As usual I had butterflies in my
stomach! Unlike the first time I knew I was capable of doing this. A
common thing several people have told me is that I do not seem
nervous talking. That I seemed natural. I was pleasantly surprised
about this.
I want to be able to
do these presentations for a long time! I really enjoy them! The
purpose is to remove the stigma of mental illness! I want to show the
world that people with mental illnesses can be successful! Not all of
us are confined to group homes for the rest of our lives! We are
contributing members of society too!
4 comments:
Thank you Amy for this wonderful article and for all the work you are doing to reduce stigma. I just came across your blog through the organization I work for. Warm greetings from Vancouver!
Hi Aaron, thanks for reading my blog!! Greetings from Alabama!
hi amy i just found your blog card yesterday and have been recently diagnosed.... your blog gives me a little hope, which iv'e needed for a very long time... thankyou for that
Hi Mary! Glad you found my blog! When I was first diagnosed my life was shattered. Piece by piece I put my life back together. I will be in recovery for the rest of my life. Today I am living a healthy productive life ! Hope is a great thing to have, never lose it !
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