Author: Brian Belt

Executive Director of Mental Health Awareness and Creative Arts Gallery INC
Daily writing prompt
Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?
View all responses

I used to feel so trapped
In a cage of fear and pain
I thought I had no hope or strength
To face another day

But then I found a way to cope
With therapy and meds
I learned to challenge negative thoughts
And practice gratitude instead

I realized I was not alone
There were others who cared for me
They supported me through my journey
And helped me see the beauty

Now I’m not afraid to live
I embrace each moment with joy
I know I have the power to heal
And nothing can destroy

My recovery is not a destination
But a process of growth and change
I’m proud of how far I’ve come
And excited for what awaits

Michael Weitzman

Mental Health Peer Activist

My Most Important and Biggest SUCCESS Story of my LIFE:

I Suffered and Struggled for over 40 years with my Mental Health 25 years I Suffered in Silence and then during the next 15 years I worked on my Recovery but still Suffered and could not Get and STAY Mentally Well. And I went into 6 Psychiatric Hospitals, 4 Outpatient Clinics, Missed using Medicine, 22 ECT Treatments, Suicide Thoughts, and Suicide Attempt on Jan 2, 2008 and was still Suffering Unbelievably with my Mental Health which was Major Depression with a little Bipolar! Tried everything but could Not Get and STAY Mentally Well!

And then things got even worse because on Aug 8th, 2014, I will always remember that day is where Lewy Body Dementia and Suicide took Robin Williams Life! I was his biggest Fan and Robin was my Mentor regarding everything about Comedy, Improv, and all his amazing movies but for the next 2 and a half months because of what Robin Williams did I got so so Unbelievably Depressed and had to voluntarily go into my 6th and hopefully last Psychiatric Hospital on Oct 16, 2014. 

But this time compared to all the other times I was an Inpatient at a Psychiatric Hospital something happened different where I had an Ah Ha Moment or Divine Intervention or whatever you want to call it that said this time I’m finally now going to Get and STAY Mentally Well! So while I’m in this Psychiatric Hospital for the next 13 days I was able to put together my own Workshop/Presentation called The 3 Amigos of Mental Health where the purpose is to share my own Mental Health Stories with my own Lived experiences in how I Suffered and Suffered in Silence for over 40 years but also tell my Inspirational, Motivational, Humorous, Relatable, and Helpful Mental Health Stories of how I Finally Got and STAYED Mentally Well right after I got discharged from my Psychiatric Hospital!

So, I finally found the right Psychiatrist, Therapist, and Medicine and kept working on my Important Recovery but is was the many types of Wellness Tools from my Wellness Toolbox and especially using HUMOR that got me to the Promised Land to Get and STAY Mentally Well!  Like using Meditation, Deep Breathing Exercises, Affirmations, Creed, Prayer, GOD, Bible, Acupuncture, Nutrition, Good Sleep, Walks, A Pet, Mindfulness, and so much more!  And I kept adding more and more to my own Workshop/Presentation called The 3 Amigos of Mental Health and started Speaking and Performing all over telling my my Struggles and Inspirational Mental Health stories by being an advocate and a Different type of RELATABLE Resource to Educate, Inspire, Motivate, Use Humor, and Help Everyone with their Important Mental Health and so much more! By getting Rid of this Terrible STIGMA of Mental Illness, Deal with Acceptance and Opening Up about your Mental Health, Addiction, Suicide Thought, or whatever else is going on with you, to use many of my own Wellness Tools, and of course to use HUMOR as one of your Biggest Wellness Tool to Get and STAY Mentally Well!  Through The 3 Amigos of Mental Health I show and Tell that you can Get and STAY Mentally Well just like I finally did which is now over 8 years and Counting. And no matter what is going on with you you can have Fun without making Fun of your Mental Health or anything else. And most Important I’m working so hard to get Rid of this Terrible STIGMA of whatever is going on with you that we are All CREATED EQUAL and for the many who are Suffering and Suffering in Silence also Deserve to have a Quality of Life as well! 

So, The 3 Amigos of Mental Health is either you are Suffering with your Mental Health, Suffering in Silence, or Not Suffering at all with your Mental Health and my job through Education, Awareness, and Lived Experiences is to Help the ones Suffering and Suffering in Silence and Educate the ones Not Suffering to understand what it feels like and taste like to Suffer so they can be more Helpful and Supportive to their friends and family that do Suffer with their Mental Health and more so that All The 3 Amigos of Mental Health can be Good Friends (AMIGOS)!

I also work for a Psychiatric Hospital I was a patient at for almost 6 years as a Trained and Certified Peer Support Specialist and Care Coordinator by building my own Mental Health Career in helping so many patients of mine!

What I’m doing now since I’m still Mentally Well for over 8 years is Speaking and Performing The 3 Amigos of Mental Health everywhere and getting paid through doing Seminars, Webinars, and Podcasts by telling my stories and making it very Enjoyable, Cool, Humorous, Relatable, and so much FUN to talk about Mental Health. I have done several Mental Health TV Stories and a Great GOALCAST Video where they made me the Star and working hard to get on more major TV Networks to Tell my Inspirational Mental Health Story and trying to finish The 3 Amigos of Mental Health Book and get a Documentary and of course a Movie about my own Mental Health Story so I can become Nationally and Worldly known so I can HELP Billions of people with their own Important Mental Health and so much more by using All of my Amazing PASSION in Giving VALUE to HELP Others!!

So, this is my Most Important SUCCESS Story that has changed my life for over 8 years and I’m still MENTALLY WELL and HELPING So many people with their Important Mental Health and so much more and if I can do it SO CAN YOU!!!!

THE 3 AMIGOS OF MENTAL HEALTH

BIP  OLAR  NO  LONGER!!

Mrs STAYING ALIVE!! aka Michael Weitzman

Cell 914-523-5766

mweitzman3@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/michaelweitzman1

Educational, Motivational, Inspirational, Entertaining, Humorous, & MEMORABLE Maximum Impact Awareness Speaker Working on Touching and Helping Everyone Get and STAY Mentally Well!!

Artwork by April Angela Garcia

Our latest featured artist, April Angela Garcia, shares her story of mental health struggles over the years and how she uses art/creative work as an outlet to help manage her mental health symptoms.

“My name is April Angela Garcia.  I Am 32 Years old from a small town in Texas.  I have been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder with severe psychosis, severe PTSD, generalized anxiety and bipolar disorder. I also suffered from addiction and suicidal/homicidal ideation.  I have been in and out of counseling from elementary years into adulthood.  It is very hard for me to hold a stable let alone any sort of relationship. I always felt that something had to be wrong with me.  Nothing or anyone ever lasted in my life because something was always going wrong.   Most recently another suicide attempt landed me into a mental hospital. And although the events leading to my hospitalization were traumatic, going to the mental hospital was indeed a blessing.  I learned about the characteristics of my diagnoses, warning signs and the triggers.  After being discharged I brought along those techniques home and use them for my everyday life when I have what I call “My Moments”.  It’s not easy I still struggle but I’ve come to put all that pain, aggression into passion of art.  I found drawing and writing to be an outlet for me.  Also, I use it as a platform to bring awareness of mental health.  It has also given me ideas as to how I can help my own community for those that suffer in silence as I had and not to be afraid to ask for help or education on their diagnosis that some places fail to.

I hope and pray that I reach hearts today and give courage to those in the darkness to come to the Light and we come together as a family.  As a Soul tribe with the goal of bringing awareness to the world of mental health problems and to break the stigma associated with these diagnoses.”

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