I have lived with bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia since the age of 13. My life has not been an easy road to travel but I do not focus on the negative but the journey to who I am today. I used to do drugs such as Marijauna to try to be normal but the drug just made things worse. Eventually I learned in order for me to have growth and recovery I HAD TO stop using the drugs and than focus on my mental health. Recovery is a hard word in mental health to define I feel each individual's recovery definition is of there own choosing. In explaining this I allow myself to have my self-esteem back and I can lead a productive life with my mental illness. It is what I do now that define's me which I have been a strong advocate for the mental health community in Michigan for the last 5 years and I will keep speaking and teaching other's that with mental illness your dreams don't end and that you can make a difference in people's lives that are going through the same things you have gone through it's up to us so help those that can't help themselves at this time. What I do is public speaking and also talk with government to affect changes that are beneficial to we who live with mental illness and I wont stop till my last breath for it is in wisdom we learn that we can all recover. God Bless us all and thank you for reading my story
William Putnam Jackson Michigan Mindchangers
Good Morning Will,
I am always pleased when I hear someone say they have recovered from these disorders. So, congratulations. What do you attribute this to? Are you now on/ or not on meds and leading a productive life? Docs always make us believe that drugs are the best way to manage. When you speak publicly about this, what is the focus of your subject? Just wondering.....
Keep up the good work,
kissmeidontsmoke
I contribute this to following my doctors regimen of meds and keeping myself out of stressful circumstances that could lead to a psycotic break i am always looking for more ways to cope with different circumstances that come up in everyday life . My speeches are usually written to make people think about what they can do to help themselves and help those around them so its not a lonely journey. We need people around us to be our sounding boards without others in our lives we cant see what areas we need to work on so that we can further the recovery process and also help others in their recovery. you can email me anytime at billypnam@yahoo.com and please stay safe enjoy life and always stay in the light for too much darkness which is negativity will hurt you and those around you. God bless you and those around you so that your journey is a path less traveled.
Sincerely,
William Putnam