Just turned the last page and closed the cover of Jason Finucan's book:
I recommend it 💯 and give it: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
As someone who has experienced stigma living with not one, but four mental health diagnoses, I can tell you that Jason’s book is exceptionally informative.
Jason’s lived experiences are with Bipolar 1 disorder as well as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome a rare heart condition. His comparison of how he was treated & supported a physical health diagnosis which required open-heart surgery, and later with Bipolar 1 disorder couldn't have been more different.
I've been diagnosed with Functional Neurologic Disorder (FND), PTSD, OCD and Anxiety, and our lived experiences have some interesting parallels as well as stark contrasts. Every BODY is unique and each story of physical, mental and spiritual health diagnosis differs.
*Curious about Bipolar 1 - Learn more here:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20354626 or here: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder
*Curious about FND- Learn more here:
and watch for My memoir about FND (Work in Progress, 2022)
If you’ve been diagnosed with a debilitating condition of any nature, be it a physical or mental health diagnosis, or have a family member, friend or colleague, who struggles with an undiagnosed illness you’ll appreciate the clarity of language in Jason Finucan's book. The clever balance between memoir and how-to captivates, informs and educates the reader about stigma.
Consider yourself an empathic, caring individual? Do you respond differently after learning of a life-altering cancer, diabetes or mental illness diagnosis? Would the empathy you offer to a family member, colleague or friend be any different if you learned an individual you cared about had either Bipolar disorder or cancer?
Both are illnesses which require treatment, a foundation of education and awareness to understand, and are no fault of the individual. It’s devastating to experience the symptoms of a mental illness, wait for diagnosis, acquire the care & support you need and even more so to recieve an official diagnosis.
We’re ALL human and any new diagnosis creates opportunities for empathy, care-partners and support. Choose empathy and curiosity rather than responding with inappropriate, unnecessary, offensive stigma. Say Something; rather than nothing at all.
Speak up and offer kindness & compassion. Check out Jason’s new book and learn the five common traps to avoid when discussing mental illness.
Pick up a copy of Jason’s book and learn simple truths: “Stigma is, in fact, worse than the illness itself.” (Finucan,2019) "We can cure stigma."
