Why is Stop Paddling / Bipolar Recovery needed?

Only a few years ago there was little support and little knowledge available for people with mood disorders and hoping to recover. Traditionally there has been a gap between what the experts by education and what the experts by experience have been saying about how recovery works and what people can do to help themselves.

 

As owner of Stop Paddling I endeavour to put equal effort into:

 

  • understanding all the various views on how recovery from mood disorder happens
  • the sharing of this information

    After 3 years of self employment I settled on my current mission statement > stop paddling bipolar recovery

    About Roger

    Looking calm...   ...then they made me laugh whilst drinking.

     

    Having support and giving support were equally important in my recovery from bipolar disorder and are now key in the career I have chosen. Here is a brief summary of how I arrived at being in my fifties with the skills, knowledge and experience needed to create a mental health training business.

     

    Education:

    Care Services Improvement Partnership - WRAP & MHFA

    Rethink - Various mental health involvement worker training

    Mental Health Foundation - Mental health involvement worker training

    Performance Partnership - Facilitator training

    Glasgow Caledonian University - various stress advice courses
    MDF the Bi-Polar Organisation - SMTP

    Slough College - Computer Studies

    Loughborough University - BSc Chemistry

     

    Past activities:

    Latest report from research at Rethink: 'Getting back into the world - Reflections on lived experiences of recovery' - Download for free from www.rethink.org/intotheworld

    Trustee at South Lincolnshire Mind
    European Labs Quality Manager at Masterfoods
    Vendor Assurance Technologist at Masterfoods
    Systems Analyst at Masterfoods
    Analytical Chemist at Cilag (Johnson & Johnson)
    Chemist in Food Technology at Rank Hovis McDougall Research

    Also worked for one year for the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

     

    Current activities:

    Owner at Stop Paddling (Sole Proprietorship)

    Researcher with Rethink, London

    Trainer with Raise Mental Health Ltd

    Coordinator - South Lincolnshire Bipolar Self Help Group - part of MDF The Bipolar Organisation

     

     

    Some objectives:

  • Increasing awareness of the improving recovery prospects for people with severe mental disorders such as bipolar, schizophrenia, eating disorders...
  • Helping people with mood disorder to get back on their feet.
  • Mental health recovery training through systems such as WRAP and In-Sight.
  • Working with businesses to eliminate/reduce/overcome stress.
  • Creating the environment where people with a mental health diagnosis can flourish in business.
  • Reducing the stigma attached to mental health.
  • Being prepared to challenge conventional thinking on causes of stress related health problems. An example of this is my first book called, Stop Paddling/Start Sailing (which gave rise to the name of the business). Read about the book at www.stoppaddling.co.uk

     

    More detail needed?

    Roger's past employments and references> profile

    Testimonials page

     

    Others involved with Stop Paddling

    Over 10 years of facilitating mental he lath recovery courses (starting in 2002 with the Manic Depression Fellowship) Roger has gained many contacts/associates/friends allowing for some courses to be delivered with two facilitators or for enquiries to be passed on to other excellent facilitators.


    At the top of this page I have written about many people helping me with my recovery, starting this business and keeping it going.

     

    Just one of these many people is:

    Ann Norman provided the original artwork (two boats and seagull logos) and continues to support Stop Paddling. Ann divides her time between her interests in textiles and illustration. She is a self-employed rope maker and is developing the closely-associated, newly-researched craft of ply-splitting with her own ropes; she is involved with teaching these subjects and many other textile crafts. She has illustrated several major textile books in partnership with her husband Ralph – on braiding by Rod Owen and ply-splitting by Peter Collingwood – and has produced the artwork for Des Pawson's Rope craft and her own book on The Tibetan Twister. She and Ralph (as Sagaman) also work together as graphic designers, publishers and printers.

     

    Me and my dog >

    © 2009 Roger Smith Stop Paddling ©

    Oct 4, 2009

     

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