From a Samaritan Branch coordinator
"In the 24 hours following your visit at least 10 Samaritans contacted me to say how much they had gained from your excellent presentation, that it was a very worthwhile on-going training session for us and they went straight home and read your book. Need I say more?"
After National Bipolar Conference
Thank you for your presentation - it was imaginative and thought-provoking and fun. - CH
Background
Roger Smith is a mental health professional with a diagnosis of `Bipolar1'. Since being diagnosis Roger has studied stress advice, self management training, wellness recovery action planning, mental health media/stigma, mental health first aid and become a mental health researcher. Using this education with knowledge from his own recovery and building of resilience Roger offers arrange of training options to help with the understanding and eradication of mood disorder.
Approach
Roger is able to give a first hand account of how the disorder affected his life over a period of nearly 30 years. Triggers, warning signs and techniques for controlling the disorder are described. The traditional psychiatric view of treating the disorder is contrasted with newer recovery approaches for overcoming it.
An introduction to bipolar disorder
Participants will:
- have no doubt what bipolar is and will feel confident to explain it to others.
- (assuming not already diagnosed) have a way of understanding their own risk of suffering this illness and so be able to make choices that could prevent its onset.
- have an appreciation that everyone has a greater or lesser disposition to having mood swings and perhaps reform earlier opinions.
- will know where to find help and further information.
Benefits to business
Can you imagine this course as an inoculation? Had I known anything at all about manic depression, as it was called in those days, I do not think I would have needed 3 x 3 months off work and had nearly as much time on rehabilitation. The other big benefit of this course is in reducing stigma. It is going to help those who do not have mental health problems to respect, work with and understand those who do.
To find out more about courses Contact Roger
Two more testimonials
From John Digan, Lecturer
"Roger Smith came to work with a group of first year student nurses on 4th July at Lincoln. The group comprised about 30 student nurses. They found Roger very open to any questions they wanted to ask and more than willing to answer these."
"The group found Roger’s presentation gave a very positive upbeat perspective of Bipolar disorder and the experience of living with it. Roger could offer insights which were unique and which added to the students awareness and appreciation of what it meant to have a bipolar disorder."
"The presentation itself was well paced, always interesting and lively – Roger used a variety of methods to engage the group and is a very able facilitator."
"The group valued his clear ‘down to earth’ delivery and his ability to relate a complex condition in very human terms, to an audience with little prior knowledge of the subject."
"The group enjoyed the workshop very much, as I did myself.
"I would have no hesitation in asking Roger to facilitate the workshop with other groups, or in recommending him to other course providers."
From students passed on by Tania Linden, Practitioner Health Lecturer regarding the teaching sessions of 21 March and 4 April 2007
"An overwhelming number of the students cited your sessions as being the most interesting/informative. A few of the comments outlined on the evaluation forms were as follows:
"I found it really useful to hear about the service user's experiences."
"Having someone who has been through those issues, sharing experiences, makes you understand more about mental illness and what people go through."
"Really insightful."
"Having the opportunity to ask questions was really helpful."
"The majority of the students said that they would take what they had learnt in those sessions with them to apply in their own branch of nursing. The sessions were informative, positive and refreshing, and have certainly helped shape the nurses of the future in a positive way. I hope that you benefited also, and that you will consider returning in the future to do some more.
© 2009 Roger Smith Stop Paddling ©
Jan 31 2010