Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Posts Tagged ‘Stamp Out Stigma’

Writing Contest, Immigrant Experience, Asian Heritage Street Celebration 2011, Wisdom Has a Voice Anthology, Mothers and Daughters, Mental Health

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan here, looking forward to four related events/projects.

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Thanks to Bardi Rosman Koodrin’s encouragement, I’m sponsoring a writing contest through the San Mateo County Fair Literary Arts Dept.

DIVISION 342 – THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE: NOVEL, MEMOIR, OR SHORT STORY Writing Contest
Sponsored by Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of  Love Made of Heart (the story that inspires daughters and mothers to speak from their hearts)

Contest entries must be received by 7:00 pm, Friday, April 29, 2011 or postmarked by April 25^th, 2011

http://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/competitive-exhibits/departments/literary-arts

After you go to above link, look at left side of the webpage and click on [ Entry Book Pages ] for general rules.

http://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/pdf/guide_book/creative_arts.pdf

Scroll down to page 66 for details of  THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE: NOVEL, MEMOIR, OR SHORT STORY writing contest.

http://lovemadeofheart.com

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Wisdom Has a Voice: Every Daughter’s Memories of Mother

This groundbreaking anthology, to be released October 2011, will include 25 true and compelling stories about mothers (or mother figures) that express the wisdom shared or learned from a particular experience with each woman.   http://wisdomhasavoice.com

Editor-in-Chief Kate Farrell has asked me, Teresa LeYung Ryan, to write advance praise; the other two members of the editorial team are JC Miller and Ana Manwaring; they are only weeks away from completing final edits. I so look forward to reading stories written by women representing each continent. Kate, I’m honored.

I’m a fan of Kate Farrell’s literary works. Take a look at her young-adult novel Girl In the Mirror

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Saturday, May 21, 2011 Asian Heritage Street Celebration (AHSC), organized by the AsianWeek Foundation

Two years ago author Margie Yee Webb helped me reconnect with the Asian-American community by inviting me to exhibit my book Love Made of Heart at the Asian Heritage Street Celebration (AHSC). Thank you, Margie!

This year, Margie Yee Webb (author of Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings), Lloyd Lofthouse (author of My Splendid Concubine), Patricia Tsang, M.D. (author of Optimal Healing: A Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine) and yours truly Teresa LeYung Ryan (author of Love Made of Heart and Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days) will share a booth.  Please stop by the California Writers Club booth and say hello if you’re going to the Asian Heritage Street Celebration

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May is National Mental Health Month in the United States of America.

Thank you to mental health professionals and advocates and organizations including National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI, Stamp Out Stigma (founded by Carmen Lee), and BringChange2Mind (created by Glenn Close, the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation CABF, Fountain House, and Garen and Shari Staglin of International Mental Health Research Organization IMHRO.

BringChange2Mind Walks with NAMI BringChange2Mind is forming NAMIWalks teams across the country, and a portion of the funds they raise will benefit their mission to combat the stigma associated with mental illness via a national communications campaign.

Twelve million children and adolescents suffer from diagnosable mental health disorders.

1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. Yet, for many, the stigma associated with the illness, can be as great a challenge as the disease itself. This is where the misconceptions stop. This is where bias comes to an end. This is where we change lives. Because this is where we Bring Change 2 Mind.   The video  BC2M Nami Walks 2010 is at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it2S0ja2GlU

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“My beautiful mom suffered mental illness and its stigmas all her life. I celebrate National Mental Health Month, Mother’s Day, and all mental health advocates.  Mom, I celebrate you!”

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Happy Birthday to Love Made of Heart!  My novel (published by Kensington Publishing, New York) made her debut on October 1, 2002

Thank you to everyone named on my acknowledgment page!

In addition to the folks I thanked on my post http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/first-book-turned-seven-in-october/, I wish to thank everyone else who has kept Love Made of Heart alive and well!

I celebrate the memorable characters who have taught me how to talk to my mother, how to see life through new eyes, how to forgive one’s self.

author Teresa LeYung Ryan celebrates the characters in Love Made of Heart

I celebrate everyone who advocates compassion for mental illness.

• Love Made of Heart inspires adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer.

I celebrate National Alliance on Mental Illness www.nami.org From its inception in 1979, NAMI has been dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

I celebrate Carmen Lee & everyone at Stamp Out Stigma.  www.stampoutstigma.org Stamp Out Stigma is a consumer driven advocacy and educational outreach program designed to make positive changes in the public perception of mental illness and inform the community about the personal, social, economic and political challenges faced by people living with mental illness. Founded by Carmen Lee.

I celebrate Glenn Close and everyone at Bring Change 2 Mind bringchange2mind.org The idea of a national anti-stigma campaign was born of a partnership between Glenn Close and Fountain House, where Glenn volunteered in order to learn about mental illness, which both her sister and nephew suffer from.Glenn Close’s documentary film “Pax” will be featured at the 2nd Annual Lady Filmmakers Film Festival! Oct 8-10, 2010 Click Here http://ladyfilmmakers.com/Home_Page_MV6D.php for more information.  At the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, CA

Love Made of Heart inspires adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer.

Publisher’s Note: Kensington Publishing Corp, NY

“The Chinese word for ‘love’ is made up of many brush strokes. In the center of the word ‘love’ is the word ‘heart.’ Love is made of heart…”

Twenty-seven-year-old Ruby Lin has what many women envy: a beautiful apartment in one of San Francisco’s best neighborhoods, a busy social life, and a coveted position as manager of special events for the tony St. Mark’s Hotel. But it’s Ruby’s personal life that’s become unmanageable ever since the day her mother’s emotional breakdown forced Ruby to hospitalize her, shaming the family. Now, Ruby is caught in the crossroads between two vastly different cultures-one in which she is the American girl, raised on kitschy television shows and black-and-white movies, and one in which she is known only as Daughter, the eldest, fulfiller of responsibilities.

In putting together the pieces of her mother’s life, Ruby finds herself exploring the wounds of her own past. Starting with a forbidden locked tin box and the yellowing photograph inside, Ruby embarks on a startling journey of self-discovery that takes her through a family history rife with violence, betrayal and loss that reaches back through generations, from China to America, and finally to the secret pain of a mother’s sacrifice. Like the Chinese calligraphy that adorns her walls, Ruby comes to see that “life is not a straight road,” but a language drawn with many brush strokes, where every misunderstanding must yield to the simple message of the heart.

Filled with warmth and wisdom, this luminous debut novel heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in fiction as it explores the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, the choices that divide us, and the love that brings us home.

From http://www.mhprofessional.com/templates/chases/special-months.php

October is:

•    Antidepressant Death Awareness Month
•    Depression Education and Awareness Month
•    Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of Love Made of Heart; writing-career coach, founder of GraceArt Publishing

Tonight I Googled the phrase “1 in 6″ and these results showed up:

1 in 6 Americans go hungry
1 in 6 Americans in poverty
1 in 6 Americans swine flu
1 in 6 traffic fatalities is a pedestrian
1 in 6 h1n1
1 in 6 hungry
1 in 6 men prostate cancer

1 in 6
http://www.bringchange2mind.org/

1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. Yet, for many, the stigma associated with the illness, can be as great a challenge as the disease itself. This is where the misconceptions stop. This is where bias comes to an end. This is where we change lives. Because this is where we Bring Change 2 Mind.

911 in-crisis support 800-273-TALK (8255) • 411 mental health information and resources 877-726-4727

One of the best ways you can help someone with mental illness is by understanding what it is – and what it isn’t. After all, myths about mental illnesses contribute to stigma, which often prevents those who are living with it from seeking help.

The fact is, a mental illness is a disorder of the brain – your body’s most important organ – And 1 in 6 adults suffers from brain-related illness including depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD and schizophrenia.

Like most diseases of the body, it has many causes – from genetics to other biological, environmental and social/cultural factors. And just as with most diseases, mental illnesses are no one’s fault. The unusual behaviors associated with some illnesses are symptoms of the disease – not the cause.

But most importantly, mental illnesses are treatable through medication and psychosocial therapies – allowing those who suffer from them the opportunity to lead full and productive lives.

BringChange2Mind.org is a not-for-profit organization created by Glenn Close, the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF), Fountain House, and Garen and Shari Staglin of IMHRO (International Mental Health Research Organization).

The idea of a national anti-stigma campaign was born of a partnership between Glenn Close and Fountain House, where Glenn volunteered in order to learn about mental illness, which both her sister and nephew suffer from.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan   www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com

As an author and a community spirit, I, Teresa LeYung Ryan, use my novel Love Made of Heart to shed light on stigmas suffered by women, men and children with mental illness/traumas to the mind. I speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.

author Teresa LeYung Ryan uses Love Made of Heart to inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and gain resources for their families

Other resources:

National Alliance on Mental Illness   www.nami.org

Stamp Out Stigma  http://www.stampoutstigma.net/ Carmen Lee, founder

Today I learned how to identify a hazardous tree situation and how to estimate the falling distance of a tree.  Also I learned that severe wind and saturated soil can fell a tree, even a healthy one.  I see a metaphor—sometimes under a combination of circumstances, anyone can get mental illness (falling of the mind).

I thought about what Glenn Close said in the commercial with her sister that was filmed at Grand Central Station in New York City. “1 in 6 adults suffer from a diagnosable mental illness.”

www.BringChange2Mind.org 1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan   www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com

As an author and a community spirit, I, Teresa LeYung Ryan, use my novel Love Made of Heart to shed light on stigmas suffered by women, men and children with mental illness/traumas to the mind. I speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Other resources:

National Alliance on Mental Illness   www.nami.org

Stamp Out Stigma  www.stampoutstigma.org Carmen Lee, founder

Writing colleague Pamela Reitman had emailed me the invitation to this half-day symposium. The words on the flyer hooked me. “Building a Caring Community for Mental Illness,” “open to everyone,” “this conference is FREE,” and “light refreshments will be provided.”
And, I didn’t have to be Jewish to attend this event at Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco August 30, 2009 Noon-5:30pm.  “Open to everyone” said the invitation.  I would go with my mom watching over me.
In my first novel Love Made of Heart, I had fictionalized my mother’s story, her battling with mental illness, my role as a witness to her suffering. Whenever I give talks on the book, I make the statement: “I advocate compassion for mental illness.”  The conference would give me an

Pam Reitman greets community of mental health advocates

opportunity to meet a spectrum of advocates for mental health.

My impressions and memories of the day:
2 friends carpooled with me.  It was already minutes past noon when I drove up to 301 14th Ave. at Clement St.  I dropped off my friends.   Scanning down the street, I was ready to park many blocks from the Beth Sholom. I couldn’t believe my eyes when half a block down the street, there was a space!  Mom! My parking angel!
Who drives by looking for parking but another friend I had shared the invitation with.
The first person I encountered was a volunteer who opened the glass door and greeted me with a smile.  “Here for the conference?” he asked.  “Up the stairs to the Koret Hall.”
My friends were signing in.  A volunteer handed me a program and welcomed me. I chatted with another volunteer who asked me “Teresa, what do you do?”  “I write stories for those who cannot speak for themselves.”  She told me about her son’s experience at camp—how the one activity he could connect with was story-telling.
A female voice from stage announced the start of the conference. Pam Reitman looked lovely in a black/white/sage Piccaso-ish dress. She welcomed us, told us about the committee’s dedication to making the conference a reality, the history of Bay Area Jewish Healing Center, her personal story. It was hearing Pam’s personal story several years ago that had attracted me to her writing about mental illness.
Rabbi Hyman greeted us with “Nachamu, Nachamu” (Comfort, Comfort).”  He and Rabbi Kukla did in fact create an atmosphere of comfort.  I even sang along a simple song in Hebrew.  A cello player.

Rabbi Hymand and Rabbi Kukla say: "Nachamu, Nachamu"

6 panelists shared personal stories.
“I didn’t know we had mental illness in the family until my father suffered from depression, then I found out that his father had mental illness. I had clinical depression after I gave birth.”
“Friends and neighbors bring food when you have a broken leg. They don’t when you have mental illness.”
“There’s stigma on mental illness even among physicians. When I was in medical school, I knew I wanted to be a psychiatrist, but, my classmates looked down at me because they were going to be general practitioners and surgeons.”
“I thought that what I was going through was typical teenage misery. Then in grad school I was feeling happy and confident for the first time, but, I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t eating, and I was talking to myself. I thought I was the reincarnation of the person that I was writing about in a research paper; that’s when I knew that something was strange. The book An Unquiet Mind catapulted me to call my friend and seek help. Ten years later, I went back to grad school and became a doctor.”
“Stigmas.  We hide behind the illness, knowing other people would ostracize us. We wouldn’t have to hide behind other illnesses.”
“Psychic history.” “Holocaust survivors… intergenerational healing.”
The audience was given index cards to write questions for the 6 panelists. After several questions were addressed, and the volunteers were collecting more cards from the audience, there was silence. Rabbi Hyman said there was no hurry to fill the moment with words. Filling the moment with silence was lovely.
More questions and responses.
“Isolation.”  “Shame.” “Hope.”
“Some people think we have to find meaning in every experience. What about finding leap of faith instead?”
“Stigma.”
“When I don’t hear from my son, I double-up the efforts to call him.”
“You can continue communicating even though your loved one is not.”
“There’s no distinction in the way I treat this person and that person. I treat everyone with respect.”

Pam Reitman & Teresa LeYung Ryan write about loved ones with mental illness

Refreshments. Pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, strawberries. Danishes, glazed donuts.  I chatted with a yoga teacher. We talked about our moms—how much we miss them.
Breakout sessions.   I was in the group facilitated by Steve Foreman and Sharon Roth. In the library. 11 in the group. We sat in a circle. “What would you like to suggest to the planning committee to make this conference more assessable?” “How to connect with folks who are isolated?” “Volunteerism.” “NAMI” “Why is it when I read a news item about a violent crime, there’s mentioning that the suspect has mental illness as though it’s implied that mental illness leads to violence…?”
“What else can we do to help build a caring community for mental illness if we don’t have time to volunteer?” “Call or email legislative representatives and remind them to include mental health in healthcare reform.” “Share stories.” “Create a blog and invite everyone to tell their mental illness story. Offer resources on the blog.”
Then we gathered in the Main Sanctuary to hear reports from all the breakout sessions. Closing ritual that included prayers and songs.  During prayers, I saw my mom on a swing!  That was the first time I pictured her in that playful act.
A lovely day indeed.
It’s Wednesday, Sept. 2nd, and I Googled “An Unquiet Mind” (the book that had helped Dr. Karin Tamerius, one of the panelist on Sunday).  YouTube had “Personal Reflections on Manic-Depressive Illness” from the Research Channel series.  Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison told her personal story. Such courage to open up about her disease (mania, suicidal depression) and her struggles with medication (side effect that were severely debilitating) that ultimately helped her. Stigmas. Personal and professional reprisals.  Who else could really understand what the patients are experiencing?  She ended her speech about the role of love in recovery.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxRLap9xLag
I’m thinking about Carmen Lee’s organization:  Stamp Out Stigma  http://stampoutstigma.org/
and National Alliance of Mental Illess   http://nami.org/
and my mom.