Follow Next to Me: Hope for Schizoaffective Disorder is a memoir that provides a hand to those separate from reality. At 19, I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. This is not a self-help book. It is an honest story about the events and turning points in my life. I believe this book will be an eye opener for the entire community. Also involved are lesbian issues, suicide, self-mutilation, and the tale of my imaginary friend Follow. I take a close look at the current mental health stigma. Social stigma is characterized by prejudicial attitudes and discriminating behavior directed toward individuals with mental health problems as a result of the psychiatric label they have been given. In contrast, perceived stigma or self-stigma is the internalizing by the mental health sufferer of their perceptions of discrimination and perceived stigma can significantly affect feelings of shame and lead to poorer treatments outcomes. I have a B.A. in psychology, as well as, studio art with a minor in gay and lesbian issues from Whitman College. Also, I have a M.S. in health information management from The College of St. Scholastica. This extensive education allows me to be as accurate with the facts as I am with my emotions. I hope to awaken readers to a world both familiar and bizarre. This is a story about strength and internal belief. Since first publishing this memoir, I have become a regularly public speaker for three speakers bureau's in Maine sharing my lived experiences with mental illness to proffessionals going into the field, civic groups, peers, family members, colleges and high school students. I am also finishing my second book entitled The Audacity of Robyn which is a fiction novel about gender identity and sexual orientation struggles of Robyn during the 1900's.
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