Roger Smith

"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." Henry Ford

 

 

Having support and giving support has been key to my recovery from bipolar disorder and key to survival in self employment. This is the text from my profile on the business networking site, www.linkedin.com

Current Activities:

Coordinator - South Lincolnshire Bipolar Group at MDF The Bipolar Organisation
Core group member at SUSTN Service User Survivor Trainers Network
Owner at Stop Paddling (Sole Proprietorship)

Past Activities:

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

Education:

Glasgow Caledonian University
Loughborough University

Recommendations on Linked In:

11 people have recommended Roger

6 co-workers, 4 clients, 1 partner

Connections: 197
Industry: Mental Health Care

Summary:

  • Helping people with bipolar disorder to get back on their feet.
  • Mental health recovery training such as SMTP and WRAP.
  • Working with businesses to eliminate/reduce/overcome stress.
  • Creating the environment where mental health service users can flourish in business, through SUSTN - www.sustn.net.
  • Working with mental health charities - helping them with design and running of workshops.
  • 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
  • Free eZine available from http://www.stoppaddling.com/sailingideas.html

    Specialties:
    SUSTN, Bettermoods, Bipolar Recovery, Mental Health Recovery, MDF, the Bipolar Organisation, Reducing Stigma, Stress, Anxiety, Overcoming Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Manic Depression, Mood Swings, WRAP, Memetics

    Experience:

    Coordinator - South Lincolnshire Bipolar Group MDF The Bipolar Organisation

    (Non-Profit ; Mental Health Care industry)

    April 2007 – Present (1 year 7 months)

    MDF The Bipolar Organisation supports those who experience extreme moods - in particular those with the diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder.
    Our local group focuses on
    1) Support
    2) Recovery - this is always possible no matter what others may tell you.
    3) Anti-stigma

    Core group member - SUSTN Service User Survivor Trainers Network

    (Non-Profit ; Mental Health Care industry)

    December 2005 – Present (2 years 11 months)

    SUSTN is the Service User Survivor Trainers Network.
    SUSTN is a national network that aims to support service users who are now providing training.

    Owner - Stop Paddling

    (Sole Proprietorship ; Professional Training industry)

    June 2005 – Present (3 years 5 months)

    Stop Paddling challenges the way we all think about stress and moods in the workplace.
    From the point of view of people who have suffered severe mental distress and have made it into recovery we see challenges such as the need for mental health awareness and the creation of workplaces with sensible stress levels so much more clearly.

    Detail:
    There is more detail about all my past employments in my profile on www.linkedin.com - If you are in business, working or looking for employment perhaps consider joining Linked In.

    Others involved with Stop Paddling?
    Hundreds of people have helped me with my recovery, starting this business and keeping it going. There is one person I would like to mention in particular:

    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 ropemaker 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 Ropecraft and her own book on The Tibetan Twister. She and Ralph (as Sagaman) also work together as graphic designers, publishers and printers.

     

    Return to top

     

    Contact Roger

    061008

     

    •  

    Some more personal stuff

    My recovery started in February 1998 when I was diagnosed as having manic depression. For a long time I had been quite successful, as a chemistry graduate, working for multinational companies, married with children, owning our own house and car. In the background I was suffering from stress related mood swings that my work colleagues, neighbours and so on were unaware of. Then I became very ill and had to spend time on various psychiatric wards (7 stays of various lengths in total) and take some pretty nasty medication.

    Getting the diagnosis was life changing because from then on I started finding out all I could about this disorder I had been suffering from. I joined the Manic Depression Fellowship (now the Bipolar Organisation) where I learnt to facilitate their 3 day self management course. Learning that bipolar is a stress related illness I then trained to be a stress adviser and continue my studies in stress advice. I have also trained to deliver Wellness Recovery Action Planning courses.

    Recently I have trained with Rethink in London to work on a research project and an anti-stigma project.