Interview w/ Michelle Hammer [Schizophrenia Activist & Owner of Schizophrenic.NYC]

Michelle Hammer is a Schizophrenia Activist and spends her time passionately fighting stigma. She is an NYC native featured in the WebMD documentary Voices, which was nominated for a Tribeca X Award at the Tribeca Film Festival 2018. Michelle was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 22 after a misdiagnosis of bipolar at age 18. At 27, Michelle decided to use her artistic talents and fearless personality to do something that could benefit the mental health community. In May 2015, she founded a mental health-focused clothing brand. Schizophrenic.NYC is a clothing brand with the mission of reducing stigma by starting conversations about mental health. Michelle has also been featured in many publications such as Mashable, The Daily Mail, Stylist, and Buzzfeed.

Michele & Tim talk mental health, while Tim learns more about Schizophrenia and her apparel company. They both also break out their singing abilities to one of the "smartest songs of all time" - This was a really enjoyable interview & we hope you enjoy it

Schizophrenic.NYC was created, founded, & designed by Michelle, a Schizophrenic New Yorker who wants to make a difference in the way the mentally ill homeless are treated in NYC as well as change the way New Yorkers feel about mental illness. Usually, the Rorschach Test is plain black. When a person with schizophrenia looks at this test or just goes through life, things are seen from a different perspective. What Michelle did was by using my artwork in the test, she changed the colors and patterns so now everyone sees the test from a different perspective. This makes people think differently and starts a discussion. The more discussions about mental health we have, the less stigma there will be.

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DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for entertainment purposes only & informs all listeners of the podcast, that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the each episode belong solely to the host of 20TIMinutes, Tim McCarthy, and not necessarily to the podcast hosts employer, organization, committee or other group or individual. Tim is NOT a mental health professional. Tim only speaks about his own personal struggles and what works for him. If you're in need of help mentally or physically, please contact your primary care provider, a mental health professional or in case of an emergency, dial 911.

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