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Long Walk Home BY KENYATTA YAMEL "[It was] extremely risky behavior [to return to work] so soon after my diagnosis but I was determined to test my limits." Stigma is the Public's Fear and Our Own BY KATHI BERKE "You have to be proud of who you are." Advice on connecting with a mate A COLUMN BY LANCE HARRISON AND FIONA WELLINGTON "Flirting can perhaps best be defined as relaxed, light-hearted communication between two individuals with the intent of getting to know each other better." Saving Mom from the Nursing Home BY CRAIG R. BAYER "…we were told by officials to just ignore [mom's] pleas for mercy and force her to get used to her new surroundings." RIPPD: Fighters for Imprisoned Consumers A COLUMN BY LISA ORTEGA AND THE MEMBERS OF RIPPD "Together we are many and we can stop this inhumane treatment of persons with psychiatric disabilities." LGBT Community Can't Afford to Lose Rainbow Heights BY GARY PARKER AND CHRISTOPHER MURRAY "LGBT people suffering from mental illnesses are extremely isolated and vulnerable, because our mental health system is still often very homophobic…If you'd like to help, please call Rainbow Heights Club at 718-852-2584 or visit their webpage at www.rainbowheights.org." Prescription for Disaster: A Medicaid Malady BY ELYSSA D. DURANT, ED.M. "Don't they know who…I might be if only my mental health and medications would remain stable…Without having my benefits tampered with by bureaucratic negligence and oversight! I could be a real noisemaker…Together we can fight to change Medicaid prescription limits and managed care formularies. I am not alone. Let your voice be heard." Me and the Mayor of New York City BY MARTY COHEN "I was still feeling nervous, so I…started taking pictures of people I knew…I then felt better with my camera and I became a social butterfly." Bruni in the City: Movies at Bryant Park A COLUMN BY CHRISTINA BRUNI "As soon as the spring comes, I'm lifted. The hot nights in the City are perfect for adventuring with friends." Op Ed: Out of the Closet BY BETH L. BLOCK "The stigma that our society has attached to [mental illness] must be removed, just as it has been for previously misunderstood physical diseases. For if we neglect to do so, we are condemning innocent victims to endure society's ignorant disapproval: an unnecessary and unjust burden." |
Additional Patient Protections Make Preferred Drug Program Palatable BY MICHAEL SEEREITER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY, MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION IN NEW YORK STATE (MHANYS) "All in all, while no PDP would have been preferable, it was due to the fact that Voices readers and others weighed in with their elected representatives that appropriate safeguards for Medicaid patients with mental health needs were in included in the PDP agreement." Police Officers, Consumers, and the Use of Force BY DANIEL W. PHILLIPS, PH.D. "An officer is taught to use deadly force on anyone within a 17-foot radius who has a weapon and is moving toward him/her." Huge Picnic for Parity Event BY STANLEY LOWE "New York's mental health community spreads the word at Battery Park It's Time to Fight Back A COLUMN BY STEVE KAUFMAN, RPH, SUPERVISING PHARMACIST, MANHATTAN PLAZA PHARMACY "Prescription Benefit Manager (PBM) companies force many people to use mail order for many of their insurance plans." What it Takes to be a Peer Specialist BY MOE ARMSTRONG, NATIONAL CONSUMER ADVOCATE, PEER SPECIALIST AND VETERAN "Peer Specialists must be willing to continue on the job consistently despite doubts and self-discouragement that often occur with mental illness." Films that Spark Consciousness BY CARLA RABINOWITZ "The first theme focused on 'how we view ourselves as mental health consumers as opposed to how others view us'…The second theme was 'how our recovery affects others.'" NAMI Walks for the Mind of America BY AMY LAX "The walk is an important step in mainstreaming this no-fault disease…." Completely Recovered from Schizophrenia BY MEERA POPKIN "Am I the one in a thousand that recovers from this illness?" The Great Delusion: "I Can't Do It!" BY PAUL CHIPKIN "Life has more to offer us than a deadly habit and a fantasy—of this I am certain!" Adult Home Residents Speak Out BY GERARD HELLER, PRESIDENT, SURF MANOR RESIDENT COUNCIL & BOARD MEMBER, COALITION FOR THE INSTITUTIONALIZED AGED AND DISABLED (CIAD) "Adult home residents were proud to be part of the legislative process that day." |
LGBT Issues: Helping Our
Therapists Help Us BY CHRISTIAN HUYGEN, PH.D., DIRECTOR, RAINBOW HEIGHTS CLUB "…our therapists…should be mind readers who always know what we think, feel, and need...we sometimes hope that therapy will magically repair everything that's ever gone wrong in our lives…But…this wish…sets us up for feeling disappointed, hurt or even enraged when our care providers misunderstand us, or do something not quite perfect…as humans often do." A Letter To My Former Therapist BY ELYSSA DURANT "I want to act with purpose, speak with conviction, and be confident in my decisions. I want to choose action rather than inaction and feel comfortable with the choices I have made. No more ruminating over what I should have, might have, or almost done." Former Workaholic Takes Second Stab at Life BY BETH L. BLOCK "If, like me, you must live in a world that is complicated and confused by mental illness, it is so important for you to find a variety of favorite activities and then keep yourself busy doing them regularly." Now That You Have Housing… BY DANIEL J. STERN, HOUSING CONSULTATION COORDINATOR/TRAINER, AND ELIZABETH PETERSON, SENIOR HOUSING CONSULTANT, CENTER FOR URBAN COMMUNITY SERVICES "…sometimes maintaining housing can be just as hard as finding it." Hearing Voices When You Are Not Psychotic BY KURT DOUGLAS SASS "When I was finished with my tasks, I was simply able to stop the tape. People who hear distressing voices unfortunately don't have the option of an on/off switch." From the Editor's Desk BY DANIEL FREY, EDITOR IN CHIEF, NEW YORK CITY VOICES "Our mission is to destigmatize mental illnesses by helping people to realize that they are no one's fault, they can happen to anyone and that recovery is possible with effort and undying hope." The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Bleaching BY ANDY "ELECTROBOY" BEHRMAN "Oh God, I feel cleansed. I head into the bathroom and take a half-hour shower and use a whole bottle of shampoo. I also attempt to use an entire bar of soap and lather my body…." How I Came to New York BY ANONYMOUS "Prince Arthur said "Goodbye" to Papa Elmer and me and so, despite all efforts to detain me, I was off to New York City and the Statue of Liberty, keeper of dreams!" Church Power Tried to Repress my Sexuality BY ERIC JACKSON "I am gay and that's it!"
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