Putting a real face on mental illness

Julie Druker | Jul 01, 2015

TAMI (Talking About Mental Illness) is an organization whose goal is to raise awareness of and to address the myths and stereotypes associated with mental illness and mental health.

Staff of the Kingston chapter are doing just that by including those who have experienced mental illness first hand as speakers at their presentations.

On June 17, the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team (SLFHT) invited TAMI-Kingston to give one such presentation and it included two speakers, Doug and Luciele, who shared their personal stories.

Each spoke about their journey through mental illness, of how they first recognized that they were ill, their struggles as they journeyed through it, the barriers they experienced to getting treatment and their triumphs as they eventually found the right kind of medical help.

Doug spoke first of his experience with schizophrenia. He first became ill when he was practicing law and told of his personal journey, of overcoming the obstacles his illness presented, and finally after finding the right diagnosis and treatment, returning to practice law for 12 years.

Luciele spoke emotionally about her experience with bi-polar disorder, the ups and downs she experienced as a mature student studying psychology at Queen's University and as a mother of five and the painful years of not knowing what was wrong. She spoke candidly and openly of how, at her lowest point she contemplated taking her own life before eventually being properly diagnosed and getting the right treatment. Both likened their diseases to diabetes, an illness that you will always have but that with the right treatment can be successfully managed.

Katrina McDonald, a steering committee member and presentation facilitator with TAMI-Kingston spoke to me about TAMI, a program that originally came out of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. The program was first geared to high school students, since early signs of mental illness often first present in young adults. The idea was that students, after hearing from people with mental illness, would be able to break down some of the stereotypes and myths associated with it. “Historically we have had this sense that people with mental illness are different or scary or dangerous and that they are not contributing members of society. The idea we want to get across through TAMI is to get real people who have experienced mental illness first hand talking about it, answering people's questions and letting people see that someone with a mental illness is a real person who with the right treatment can become a healthy and contributing member of society.”

McDonald also stressed the idea that mental illness is just like any other illness. “Once it is properly identified and the right treatment is provided, people can continue to live healthy, productive lives.”

Laura Baldwin, program manager at the SLFHT, was pleased with the turnout at the presentation which she said “fostered a rich discussion.”

McDonald said that the more we can reduce the stigma of mental illness by talking about it, the more people will come forward and get the help they need. Any local schools interested in bringing a TAMI presentation to their school can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.