Rethinking Madness

In the midst of a successful career as a hang gliding instructor and competition pilot (winning a World Champion title and multiple National Champion titles), Paris Williams suddenly found himself plunged into a profound struggle with experiences that would have likely resulted in the diagnosis of a psychotic disorder.

Instead of entering the psychiatric system, and he embarked upon a journey of healing and self discovery. He has spent over a decade deeply exploring both Eastern and Western under-standings of mind and consciousness, studying intensive meditation from a number of different meditation masters around the world, earning a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, working in a number of different settings supporting people struggling with challenging and extreme experiences, and conducting a series of pioneering research studies at Saybrook University on recovery from schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

In his new book "Rethinking Madness", Dr. Paris Williams takes the reader step by step on a highly engaging journey of discovery, exploring the mainstream understanding of schizophrenia, while crafting a more hopeful vision of recovery.

Visit Dr. Paris Williams at www.rethinkingmadness.com

Would a Support Group Help Recovery?

I'm not affiliated with any group or program. I am just trying to get the word out about methods that help people recover from schizophrenia. NAMI the National Alliance of Mental Illness is an altruistic organization that offers information and support to people suffering from schizophrenia in several ways. NAMI support groups are places where people who are facing the same challenges come together and share their experience, strength and hope with each other. This video shows real people telling about their experience with support groups and how it has effected their mental health.

Schizophrenia - Overcome Mental Illness Together - Ashley Smith

Ashley was diagnosed with adult-onset Paranoid Schizophrenia in 2007 at the age of 20. Since then she has been active with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to raise awareness about recovery from schizophrenia. She founded a non-profit organization called, Embracing My Mind, Inc. (EMM). EMM works with community-based organizations that provide services to people affected by mental illness who have little or no income. They offer peer support in the form of support groups, educational classes, and presentations adapted to the needs of various audiences.

Ashley shares her experiences in hopes of empowering others and promoting understanding. She firmly believes, "We can overcome mental illness together!"

A Man With Schizoaffective Disorder

A 21 year old man gives an honest account of his schizophrenic symptoms, his drug use, his delusions, obsessions and his hospital stays. Perhaps one of the things about self medicating with non-prescription drugs is that it becomes difficult to tell if the hallucinations or other schizopaffective symptoms are a result of the drugs.