National Mental Health Speaker to Headline NAMI Alabama’s Annual Meeting

Aug. 20, 2015 - PRLog -- Mike Veny is a man of many talents. As a corporate drumming facilitator, his drums transform dull and boring corporate events and retreats into something magical, a safe space to bond and a chance to see real synergy evolve from a shared experience.

Veny, however, is much more than his drumming. He has something in common with one out of four people in the U.S.

“I struggle with a variety mental health challenges on a daily basis,” said Veny.

Depending on who you ask, the term ‘mental health’ encompasses a variety of issues. The term is often used in conjunction with ‘mental illness’, ‘emotional health’, ‘behavioral health’, and ‘psychological health’. Regardless of the term used, people are typically referring to the health of one’s emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Most people can control these, but many more cannot. This can be very frustrating for everyone involved.

Unlike a medical condition involving the physical body, mental health conditions are difficult to diagnose and treat. Pain in a wrist that lasts for more than a few days will certainly need medical attention, but for those who have chronic depression, it may not be as clear. Many simply accept their feelings as normal, and they never realize the underlying condition.

“I had more than my fair share of difficulties before I gained insight into my underlying problems” said Veny, “and once I was able to tackle my mental health challenges head on, I decided to give back and educate others on these issues. This is a critical part of my recovery.”

Veny is the founder of TransformingStigma.com and a mental health speaker that shares his past and current struggles within the mental health community. His goal is to help as many people as possible feel a sense of a hope, offers practical steps that people can take to get help and educate families on the elements of their loved one’s mental health challenges.

Veny refers to ‘stigma’ as the negative perceptions people have about mental health challenges. The stigma leads to prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes. With the stigma surrounding mental health, a sufferers challenges can quickly turn to statistics.

“Here is one frightening statistic of mental challenges: Seven people die by suicide per hour in North and South America,” said Veny, “and from 1999 through 2007, the suicide rate has increased from 10 percent to 11 percent per every 100,000 people. Although it’s statistically small, it’s still an increase and clearly shows that this problem is getting worse.”

Veny’s approach to educating the general populace on mental illness starts with something that many have in common, shame.

“Stigma begins at shame, and once the shaming process has begun, there is a strong chance of destructive personal outcomes.” Veny’s friendly and personal approach helps attendees to reach loved ones without being too forward, “something that can quickly backfire on someone with mental challenges,” said Veny.

Veny says that “You need to take care of yourself to transform shame. You need to keep the subject of mental health in everyday conversation to transform the silence. You need to intentionally look for teachable moments to help others in order to transform self-destructive behavior and suicide.”

“I believe have a tremendous opportunity to transform stigma if we choose to view mental health challenges are your unique genius in disguise. Like many things in life, the solution lies in how you choose to look at the problem,” said Veny.

Veny is available for speaking engagements. His next event is the 2015 NAMI Alabama Annual Meeting. The awards ceermony will be held at on August 20th-22nd at the Drury Inn and Suites in Montgomery, Alabama. The theme of the event is “Embracing the Future” and is a learning opportunity for individuals with family members living with mental illness, individuals living with mental illness, and mental health professionals.Participants are encouraged to register quickly as spaces are already filling up.

Learn more about Mike Veny and his journey here: https://vimeo.com/96260357