Hi...My name is Stuart Baker-Brown. In 2008 I hope to become, providing funding can be found, the 1st person in the World diagnosed with schizophrenia to climb Mount Everest. The purpose of my climb is to inspire all those across the world with schizophrenia and other mental illness to realise their own true potential in life.
In 1996 when I was diagnosed I was told I may never be able to work again and the rest of my life would be about coping with my illness.
I have never accepted this poor attitude towards my schizophrenia and now spend a lot of my life campaigning for greater understanding of severe mental illness and trying to inspire those who suffer.
I believe my Everest challenge is a World issue where mental health is concerned and if it can be achieved, I hope my challenge will help others to have a far greater and much needed understanding of my illness and prove to many that schizophrenia can be successfully overcome and a meaningful life regained.
I believe that we know very little about scizophrenia and those who suffer from the illness are very intelligent, caring, sensitive, intuitive, creative, imaginative people who are very misunderstood.
And this misunderstanding of schizophrenia and its symptoms adds greatly to the pain we experience.
In my life time I hope to help change the misconceptions and stigma and discrimination attached to schizophrenia. I hope to educate and enlighten about my illness and help to prove we are all wonderful people beyond the fears and labels attached to our diagnosis.
I will be keeping a regular blog on schizophrenia.com which will keep readers informed of my progress in life and with my Evererst challenge. The blog will also contain my personal beliefs and views on schizophrenia.
Please also think about visiting onemansmountain.com which explains more about me...or even my photographic site stuartbakerbrown.co.uk
My very best wishes to you all. Take care and I will have an update soon. Stuart Baker-Brown.
Posted by Stuart Baker-Brown at May 1, 2007 11:16 AM | TrackBack