“As for me, you must know that I shouldn’t precisely have chosen madness if there had been any choice.” Vincent Van Gogh, 1889, in a letter to his brother while involuntarily confined in the psychiatric hospital at St. Remy

Schizophrenia is a brain disease

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

How pot affects the brain

Blood flow in the human brain normal brain brain damaged by marijuana use brain damaged by schizophrenia

Teens and Marijuana If you begin smoking marijuana before the age of 16, you’re four times more likely to develop schizophrenia For all young adults, smoking marijuana will double your risk for developing recurring psychosis, paranoia, and hallucinations

“Marijuana is the most significant avoidable risk factor for developing a mental illness.” Dr. Jehannine Austin Genetics Researcher, The University of British Columbia

Early Warning Signs Acting in ways that are out of character Withdrawal from family and social contacts Confusion Inability to concentrate Insomnia

Depression “Depression is different from normal sadness in that it engulfs your day-to-day life, interfering with your ability to work, study, eat, sleep, and have fun. The feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness are intense and unrelenting, with little, if any, relief.”

Bipolar Disorder “Bipolar disorder can show up in many costumes. It can be happy or sad, euphoric or desperate, energized or exhausted. It can party until dawn, unleash unparalleled creativity, and woo strangers. It can also terrify store clerks, drain bank accounts, and drive away loved ones. It can bring on the voices of heaven or hell.”

Schizophrenia “I hear this voice sometimes... it always tears away at me, rips my identity into shreds, and slices away at everything I am. Sometimes the voice booms in my ears. Other times, it sounds like a song, a melody, but the lyrics, even though the signing is sweet, are filled with criticism and attack. The verbal abuse never lets up. It goes on and on for hours. Nothing really stops the madness. I rarely change clothes; hygiene and meals become too much. I forget what day it is... something as simple as selecting a shirt paralyzes me.” -From David’s Story, courtesy of the National Alliance on Mental Illness

Symptoms of Schizophrenia Unusual beliefs or confused thinking Hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t real Vivid and bizarre thoughts and ideas

Symptoms of Schizophrenia Unusual anxieties or fears Delusions: extraordinary abilities or importance Belief in conspiracies and feelings of being watched

Symptoms of Schizophrenia Loss of: Motivation Personal hygiene Social activities Friends

Stigma “An invisible mark of disgrace or dishonour”

Stigma The Hartford Courant, Feb. 22, 1990: “71% of respondents thought that mental illness was the result of emotional weakness; 65% assumed that it was caused by bad parenting; 35% felt it resulted from sinful behaviour; and 43% believed that the mentally ill had brought on their sickness themselves.”

Empathy “The intimate comprehension of another person’s thoughts and feelings, without imposing our own judgement or expectations.”

Every time you offer your hand to pick someone up. Every time you share your strength and ability to persevere. Every time you provide support and understanding to someone in need. Hope begins with you...