x
Breaking News
More () »

National Speaker in the QC to Transform the Stigma of Mental Health

1 in 4 adults deal with mental illness every day… Mike Veny is one of them. Veny is the Founder of transformingstigma.com and is in the Quad Cities on Wed...

1 in 4 adults deal with mental illness every day... Mike Veny is one of them.

Veny is the Founder of transformingstigma.com and is in the Quad Cities on Wednesday, October 7th and Thursday, October 8th to share his story and change the way people think, feel, and react to mental illness.

"There is a stigma," Veny explained to News 8. "It's judgment. It's about thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The thoughts are stereotypes, the feelings are prejudice, and the behavior is discrimination."

"I talk about mental illness," he continued. "I'm not afraid to talk about it and that has actually opened up so many doors for me by making it a normal part of everyday conversation."

On Thursday, October 8th, Veny will headline the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Greater Mississippi Valley Mind & Body Workshop at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Rock Island. To register, click here.

"The workshop features presentations from local mental health and wellness experts on how to achieve  good health and stay in recovery," said a press release from NAMI. "The program is designed for individuals living with a mental illness and their families, as well as education, social work, and health professionals."

Veny's story is one of many. He says he was in a mental hospital in 4th grade.

"I had a lot of trouble with behavior," he explained. "I was always flipping out, just becoming aggressive and violent."

"I actually tried to take my own life when I was 10 years old. I came home one day and decided to take all my medication and just end it all because I was in so much pain."

Veny says our states and cities and communities need to invest more into mental health services and talk about mental health issues more often. He says as that happens, the stigma will change.

"We shouldn't need to bring a mental health speaker in," he said. "I shouldn't have a job."

"I'm hoping that it becomes a normal thing in the future that everyone addresses."

Before You Leave, Check This Out