Queensland Health invited me to be part of a cutting edge mental health media campaign! Last October, during Mental Health week, Queensland Health launched the Change Our Minds initiative addressing stigma and discrimination.
Immediately, I thought of the attention grabbing Emily TV ad. ‘I can treat my mental illness … How you treat me because of it … I can’t’.
OMG! Did the QLD Health consultant want me to appear on an ad on TV? …My pulse tripled in seconds!
Phew! She wanted my personal testimonial on the Change Our Minds government website, sharing my mental health experiences and positive strategies to recovery.
What is the Change Our Minds campaign? 
‘By changing our minds about mental illness, we can make a difference and put an end to the discrimination people face every day … promoting positive attitudes, acceptance and social inclusion of people living with mental illness.’
Robyn quizzed me on my mental health history and my Recovery. Could I really be brave enough to reveal all on a QLD government website for the world to see?
Launching Karen’s STORY…
Hi, my name is Karen Tyrrell. I was a school teacher, but through my mental health experiences I have become a multi-genre writer … After parents at my school harassed me to breaking point, my personality began to change … I experienced two major bipolar episodes and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment … The turning point for me came when, as an involuntary patient, I accepted I needed to take medication to commence my recovery. My writing … includes ME AND HER: A Memoir of Madness, an account of my struggle and victory over bipolar disorder.
For the Real Deal please go to my full testimonial but don’t forget to come back here … http://www.changeourminds.qld.gov.au/content/karens-story
What did you think? Did I reveal too much?
What can YOU do?
• Please SHARE this blog page.
• Pledge your personal support for the Change Our Minds campaign.
• Share the Change Our Minds site on Facebook and on twitter. Thousands already have 🙂
• Are you brave enough to support this campaign and help stamp out the stigma associated with mental illness?
I feel honoured to be one of four chosen to share my personal testimonial of Hope.
ME AND HER: a Memoir of Madness, my memoir of HOPE, launches on the 1st of May!
That’s excellent Karen….Great that your story is getting out there ..and that you are too.
=]
Thanks Anthony, hope my Story will help others with their Recovery 🙂
Of course you didn’t share too much. You shared the truth. Seeing where you have come from, what you’d been through and where you are now gives hope to so many of us in society, whatever the degree of mental health issue. For the multitude of children with a mental health issue these days, it’s is soooo important that youth are also shown it is an illness, just like a virus, cancer, kidney diseases etc. and there is no shame in being on medication and undergoing treatment – and those on recovery programs are to be supported and applauded, not ostracised. You’re an inspiration, Karen.
Thanks Wendy for your awesome support for me and for all those trying to deal with their mental health issues. Hope Karen’s story promotes healthy discussion on Recovery.
So powerful for just a few words – well done x
Thanks so much Wendy for your awesome support and understanding. Really appreciate you spreading the Word 🙂
Awesome news Karen! I love those campaigns, I remember Out of the Blue was so popular. Happy to share this 🙂
Wagging Tales
Thanks so much Charmaine for supporting me here and on Facebook ! Love the Change Our Minds campaign! Its so positive 🙂
Well done, Karen. You seem to live in a whirl of achievement out there now. You have obviously drawn strength and energy from the focus and determination you learned while dealing with your illness. Best of luck with the book! That’s “Me and Her”, folks.
Thanks Sally for your understanding and awesome support. I’m so grateful for all the opportunities coming my way 🙂
The interview itself was confronting but I thought what the heck! … I’ve come so far with my Recovery from mental illness. I can go the next step 🙂
Good on you Karen for sharing your story and being a help and support to others.That’s terrific.The more we can do to break down barriers the better.
Dale
http://www.daleharcombe.com
Thanks Dale for helping to break down the stigma. Mental illness is like any other illness … It has diagnosis, treatment and Recovery 🙂
Out of every negative comes a positive. keep up the good work.
As usual Karen, you have excelled yourself by putting yourself and your personal story of your mental health recovery out there in the public eye… it is a credit to you… well done!! 🙂
Thanks Norma for dropping by. I agree with you totally. I’m in a very “good” place now and realise how lucky I am to have survived and Recovered:)
Thanks Heather for your awesome support as always. Revealing my mental health recovery will encourage others with their steps to Recovery 🙂
[…] READ about the Change our Minds website and my FULL STORYhttp://karentyrrell.com/?p=2995 […]
Thanks so much, Angela for spreading the news about my mental health recovery story AND featuring my BLOGS on this weeks BDN news.
You did us all proud Karen, thank you so much for not giving up and flying the flag high in the public arena…Well done 🙂
Thanks Art for your fabulous support.
I’ve come this far with my recovery and sharing my story … Just needed the courage to go “public” on this site.