Tag:

schizophrenia

How A Determined Schizophrenic Woman From NYC Is Breaking Stigma About Mental Illness

{Schizophrenic.NYC buttons, bracelets, stickers}

In just a little over a year since I last interviewed Michelle Hammer (founder of Schizophrenic.NYC, a clothing line aimed at promoting mental health awareness), her company and mission have gained an exponential amount of support from the media and community. Since hundreds of thousands of people with schizophrenia are living on the streets, Michelle’s clothing line donates a portion of its profits to organizations that help the mentally ill homeless population of New York City. Being diagnosed with schizophrenia herself, Michelle demonstrates that people with schizophrenia can succeed, have a career, and live a normal life. She breaks stereotypes about a diagnosis highly stigmatized. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to catch up with Michelle to get an update on Schizophrenic.NYC and her thoughts on living with mental illness:

1. It has been over a year since I last interviewed you on my blog. What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment in the last year?

I would have to say that I have accomplished a lot in the past year, but what I have accomplished the most is changing the way people view mental health and how they respond to it. I’ve talked to many people at my pop-up shops about the mental health issues in NYC as well as across the country. People always seem surprised when I tell them the statistic in NYC is that 1 in 5 New Yorkers have a mental health issue. When people hear that they now understand that mental illness is so much more common than what they originally thought. Also, many people that I know are now much more comfortable about talking about their own mental health struggles. I have had people tell me that, because of me and my openness, they now feel more open to discuss their issues with their family and friends. If everyone would be more open, then more people can see how common mental health issues really are in society.

2. Congratulations on being featured on numerous renowned news platforms such as Buzzfeed and Daily Mail! It’s a testament to how much heart and hard work you put into growing Schizophrenic.NYC and spreading your mission. What do you think it is about Schizophrenic.NYC that the media is most drawn to?

I am so grateful to have been featured in such awesome publications as Buzzfeed, The Daily Mail, and Mashable. I think people are drawn to Schizophrenic.NYC because it was started by me, a girl with schizophrenia, who wants to change the way society sees mental health. It’s often thought that people with schizophrenia cannot build their own business, or work any type of “regular” job. By breaking down that stereotype and barrier I am doing something the general public thought could not be done.

3. Part of Schizophrenic.NYC’s mission is to make a difference in the way that the mentally ill homeless population is treated. What do you think people should consider when they encounter homeless people on the streets? What do you think is the biggest misconception about the mentally ill homeless population?

It’s hard to say what people should do when they encounter homeless people on the streets. When I walk by a homeless person who is yelling at nobody, and exhibiting obvious symptoms of schizophrenia then I start to feel sympathetic. I know that if these people had the support of friends, family and a doctor they would be able to get the treatment they need, and they would be able to function in society. I would say the biggest misconception about the homeless population is that they are a lost cause, and none of them can be helped, which is completely not true. If someone is homeless and mentally ill, they need to get the right help. Here in NYC we need more outreach to help these homeless people who are suffering.

4. A lot of my readers/followers are future mental health clinicians or are in the medical field. Do you feel that people with schizophrenia are often misunderstood when seeking treatment/support? Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give mental health/medical practitioners about how to approach someone diagnosed with schizophrenia?

When I first was diagnosed with schizophrenia I got very depressed. I thought nobody would ever love me or want to associate with me because of my diagnosis. I think that something I should have been told was that with the right medication and monitoring that I can live a perfectly normal life. I am not my diagnosis. I am me. Just because you get diagnosed with schizophrenia doesn’t mean your life is over. It’s just the beginning of getting the best help you can, and living the best life you can.

{Michelle Hammer, creator of Schizophrenic.NYC}

For more info on Schizophrenic.NYC, check out their website, Facebook, and Instagram.

December 15, 2016 2 comments

Fashion Psychiatry

Schizophrenic Connection

written by freudandfashion

{Schizophrenic.NYC tank top}

As a psychiatrist, I treat nearly all mental health diagnoses, but among the patients that have been most memorable and have broken the most stereotypes in my mind are those diagnosed with schizophrenia. As an intern and resident physician, I allotted more time to talk with my patients with schizophrenia because they were generally the ones who spoke the least and typically given the least amount of time to interview during patient rounds on the inpatient psychiatric wards. I recall the shock on several staff members’ faces during the staff morning meetings when I’d discuss my schizophrenic patients, for I had a tendency to present unexpected, personal info such as a patient’s favorite food, previous hobbies, where they grew up, and more specifics regarding their background (brief patient case presentations typically consisted of logistical info pertaining to timeline of their involuntary holds, compliance with medications, reports of agitated behaviors/incidents, participation in group meetings, etc). They are human beings with stories of struggle trying to cope with their illness, and when stable, have the potential to live normal lives.

Unfortunately, many people diagnosed with schizophrenia lack support and access to the care they need, and many end up living homeless on the streets. The 2012 U.S. national survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that an estimated 46% of homeless adults staying in shelters live with severe mental illness and/or substance use disorders. Among the most vulnerable are those living with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Given those alarming statistics, I was ecstatic to discover Schizophrenic.NYC, a clothing line whose founder, Michelle, was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 22. Fueled by their vision to see less mentally ill people living on the streets of NYC, their goal is to donate and support organizations that support the struggle of the mentally ill homeless population. I had the wonderful opportunity to connect with Michelle and get more info about Schizophrenic.NYC and her thoughts on living with mental illness:

Being diagnosed with schizophrenia, what do you believe is the most common misconception of people who have schizophrenia?

I would have to say that the most common misconception about schizophrenia is that people believe that schizophrenic people cannot live normal lives. Most people’s experience with schizophrenics are the homeless people on the streets who are yelling, screaming, or just plain talking to themselves. It’s hard to understand that there are people living with this illness who live normal lives and can thrive in society (with medication of course). The problem is that these functioning schizophrenic people keep their illness a secret. If everyone would share their story it would make people more aware that mental illness is extremely common and can afflict anyone. Just because you have a mental illness does not mean that you’re “crazy.”

2. Research shows that early identification and assertive intervention of a person’s 1st psychotic episode can improve longterm outcomes. What advice would you give to the youth who might be struggling with early symptoms of schizophrenia, but are too afraid or unsure how to navigate ways to seek help?

It is very hard for a youth with schizophrenia to get help. People with schizophrenia often believe that the people around them are trying to hurt them and are plotting against them. Early identification can only happen if the person has the self-reflection to understand that they are having a problem. Teens need to learn in school about the signs and symptoms so they can understand if they are having a problem. I would advise anyone who thinks they are having symptoms of mental illness to try to talk to someone they trust. Admitting that they see a problem is just the first step…and it’s the hardest one of all.

3. What organizations/people/resources have been most integral in your ability to manage your symptoms?

I am lucky enough to have a great support system. I have my friends, family and doctor that I rely on. My best friends, who are my former roommates, know all of my struggles and without them I would have never made it through college. My family has always supported me and has never treated me differently. My doctor is a great person to talk to and of course provides me with the medication I need to control my illness.

4. How has Schizophrenic.NYC impacted the mental illness community thus far?

Schizophrenic.NYC is growing everyday. I love to tell people about my mission to help the mentally ill homeless by donating to organizations in NYC that help them. I am trying to start a movement and people like that idea. It’s all about raising awareness. The more people who are aware the faster changes can be made.

5. What can we expect from Schizophrenic.NYC in the future?

I wish I knew the answer to that question! Who knows what the future will bring. As of right now, we are getting more shirts, tanks and accessories made. We will continue to spread our mission and work to make a difference. Stay tuned!

{Rorschach inkblot test design}

Photo credit: Alex M (@fitgodzilla) and Schizophrenic.NYC (middle photo)

August 25, 2015 13 comments

Psychiatry

May Is For Mental Health

written by freudandfashion

It seems just like yesterday that I wrote about Mental Health Awareness Week (see my post here), and I’m happy that the entire month of May is devoted to educating the public about such a prime aspect of our wellbeing. I hope that communities will continue to grow and strengthen in their understanding of mental health so that nobody ever has to feel isolated in their struggles. For me, each day provides an opportunity to educate about mental health (though my siblings have to constantly remind me to “stop working”/psychoanalyzing on my days off). If you follow me on Instagram, I plan to post daily information related to the field for the remainder of the month of May.

When brainstorming something to write to commemorate this month, I felt that my response to a question that MedDebate asked me during an interview seemed appropriate:

In your opinion, How do we eradicate the stigmas associated with mental health conditions?

I believe that eliminating stigma requires empathy, self-awareness, and normalization of mental health discussions. Many still believe that mental illnesses are signs of weakness rather than the fact that they are true neurologic diseases. Educating and raising awareness are important factors for understanding issues in mental health, but education can only go so far without empathy. To be completely honest, even I had my own stigma going into the psychiatric profession and it wasn’t until I acknowledged my own mental health issues that I was able to be more open, relate even more to my patients, and reduce stigma in my mind. The more people are willing to talk about their own mental health, the more people can connect with one another to normalize discussions of mental health-related issues.

May 11, 2015 6 comments

Psychiatry

Trapped In A Role

written by freudandfashion

I met some of my most memorable patients while moonlighting on an inpatient psychiatric ward during my final year of residency. One of the patients I was assigned to was labeled as the highest-risk for agitation (he was restrained and placed in seclusion two nights prior), so the staff warned me, remained on standby, and closely monitored the cameras as I approached the patient to conduct my first interview. Instead of standing during the meeting, I sat in a chair to take a more submissive stance. After all, I am the doctor and patients with chronic mental illness and histories of multiple involuntary hospitalizations understandably perceive psychiatrists as possessing the power and ability to determine their length of stay and which medications they must take. Sitting in a chair below his eye level demonstrated my attempt to even out the perceived sense of power and control.

He remained standing and proceeded to yell at me: “You’re the psychiatrist?! You don’t look like a typical psychiatrist! Are you going to ask me if I’m suicidal ‘cus I’m not. Are you afraid I’ll hit you? I don’t want to talk to you!”

I wanted to bolt out of the chair immediately, but instead remained calm and allowed him to scream his frustrations, for he was likely projecting onto me a build up of anger based on past experiences with psychiatrists. I assumed psychiatrists kept interviews brief and never asked in-depth questions beyond those pertaining to his psychotic symptoms. As a medical student, I observed meetings that lasted as quickly as one minute, which usually consisted of the standard questions: Are you hearing voices? Are you suicidal? Do you want to harm others? Did you take your meds?

Once he finished yelling, I told him that I read his chart, but emphasized that I wanted to hear his side of the story. After a few minutes of allowing him to talk without interruption, he eventually sat in the chair across from me. He paused a few times with suspicion, but when he saw that I remained engaged with the conversation, we later moved on to discuss topics such as his hobbies and interest in art. When I asked about medications, he told me that his antipsychotic made him tired during the day, which tends to make him angry. He tries to fight the sedation side effect in order to stay awake, so he often refused to take it (patients get marked as “noncompliant” when they refuse their meds). I asked if he’d be willing to take the med if switched to nighttime dosing in order to help with sleep. He agreed. I slowly got up from my chair and thanked him for allowing me to speak with him. As I extended my hand out to shake his hand, I caught a look of shock on his face (perhaps doctors never shook his hand?), then he informed me that he doesn’t like shaking people’s hands. I told him, “no problem, I understand” and we both left the room.

When I returned the following day, the report from nursing staff was that my patient willingly took his medications and there were no reported issues with agitation. One staff member even said they were able to have a short and pleasant conversation with him for the first time. I was pleased, though I also felt bad because I was his psychiatrist temporarily for the weekend only. Later that day, I told him that another psychiatrist will be seeing him tomorrow. He proceeded to scream obscenities at me, but this time I ran into the medical room and slammed the door shut. I was scared, but not upset with him the slightest bit. My intuition told me that in that moment, I became just like all the other psychiatrists who proceeded me, who made headway only to leave him in an even more vulnerable state. When the nurses asked whether or not they should give him a PRN (a medication given “as needed,” in this case for agitation), I quickly said “no.” He allowed himself to open up to me and in a sense, I abandoned him. Based on his history, he has experienced abandonment from several others throughout his life.

I can’t automatically change a patient’s pre-existing, negative perceptions of psychiatrists, but he changed my perspective of patients labeled as “agitated.”

Total Time for my first one-on-one session with him = 13 minutes + a sense of feeling heard + a developing therapeutic alliance.

Total Time to call security, obtain back-up staff to restrain the patient, and monitor the patient while placed in seclusion = several hours + long-lasting, negative, traumatic experiences that the patient will forever associate with psychiatrists and the psychiatric ward.

Photo by Marlon Santos

May 7, 2015 10 comments

Psychiatry

Teaching Influence

written by freudandfashion

{Malibu, CA}

Current thought: I’m glad I turned out to be a decent psychiatrist.

I remember being an eager medical student during an internal medicine rotation and asking a consulting psychiatrist the reason he diagnosed two of my elderly patients with schizophrenia. I anxiously awaited his response (Note: I highlight the word elderly because diagnosing schizophrenia at such a late onset in life is rare) and he gave me the most nonchalant, dismissive response: “because they’re having hallucinations.” He got up and walked away before I could ask him any more questions. Well, Mr. Psychiatrist, if I knew what I know now, I would’ve told you back then that you were a horrible doctor because you did not even talk to my patient nor put any thought into your diagnosis, nor care that giving a frail 70-year old woman excessive doses of antipsychotic medication might actually make her worse (excessive doses of antipsychotics may increase risk of confusion, oversedation, and pneumonia in the elderly population).

The accumulation of my experiences working with various attending physicians (aka supervising physicians) have shaped the way that I practice psychiatry today. One of the first lectures I attended during my psychiatry residency was about the emphasis of humanism in mental health, which was a concept that was markedly different than what I observed during internship (I had made the decision to switch to a different residency program after internship). I remember feeling ashamed during the lecture because I recalled how I used to write orders for “B-52’s” (the nickname for a cocktail of medications given by injection for acute agitation; a chemical restraint) so frequently and unhesitatingly during internship. Needless to say, that lecture set the tone and confirmed that I made the right decision to change training programs. My whole perspective and approach to psychiatry changed by working with the most caring and compassionate psychiatrists, therapists, and nurses. I obviously recall interacting with a few terrible psychiatrists, which actually turned out to be a useful learning experience: I learned how NOT to practice psychiatry. So, if you are interested in pursuing a career in the mental health field, I hope that you train with amazing supervisors, remain open-minded (psychiatry is not so clear cut as reading the DSM 5, our diagnostic manual), maintain empathy, and remember that each individual/client/patient has a story.

The greatest compliment that I’ve received from several of my patients is also a sad reality about the spectrum of practitioners in my field: “You’re not like any psychiatrist I’ve met before. You actually try to get to know me.”

March 25, 2015 36 comments

Psychiatry

You’re Crazy

written by freudandfashion

{My sister, aunt, and I on Christmas 2008}

The idea of giving a fake cell phone or earpierce to a person with Schizophrenia who can’t control talking to the voices inside their head in public seems like an ingenius idea. I have an aunt diagnosed with Schizophrenia and I get extremely defensive when people stare at her in public. Perhaps that’s why I get mad when people gauk at people they don’t know on the street and immediately label them as “crazy.”

I encourage you to think twice before you call a random person “crazy” or “psycho.” You don’t know what they’ve been through and you probably don’t care where they’ve been, but technically you care enough to immediately judge them for not fitting in with social norms.

What’s the definition of “normal” anyway? I think the more important term to look up and utilize is empathy.

September 14, 2010 3 comments

schizophrenia

How A Determined Schizophrenic Woman From NYC Is Breaking Stigma About Mental Illness

Schizophrenic Connection

May Is For Mental Health

Trapped In A Role

Teaching Influence

You’re Crazy