Education
Today on After the Crisis, mental health advocate, author, and speaker Michelle E. Dickinson shares how she has been impacted by mental health issues in three different ways, which she refers to as the “trifecta.” Listen in as Victoria and Michelle discuss growing up as the caretaker of a parent with mental illness, living with depression, and the importance of acknowledging invisible disabilities in the workplace. Michelle E. Dickinson is a passionate mental health advocate, a TED speaker, and a published author of a memoir entitled Breaking Into My Life. After years of playing the role of child caregiver, Michelle embarked on her own healing journey of self-discovery. Her memoir offers a rare glimpse into a young girl’s experience living with—and loving—her bipolar mother. Michelle spent years working to eradicate the mental health stigma within her own workplace by elevating compassion, causing more open conversations, and leading real change in how mental illness is understood in the corporate setting. She also knows first-hand what it feels like to struggle with a mental illness after experiencing her own depression due to challenging life events of her own. Michelle recently concluded her 19-year pharmaceutical career and she has emerged with a strong desire to positively impact the mental health landscape. Michelle is also committed to improving the lives of youth. As a past volunteer with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), The Make A Wish Foundation, and serving as big sister with the Big Brothers / Big Sisters, elevating the wellbeing of our youth matters to her. Michelle’s volunteer work led her to create her own children’s program called Perfect, Just the Way You Are. This program was designed to help youth better understand how to Nourish the Body and the Mind and has reached over 2,000 children and their families in NJ, NY and PA over the past 5 years. The program recently evolved into a school-wide and student led mental health wellness fair. Her intentions are to touch as many children’s lives with this program so that children proactively develop a healthy relationship to brain health. You can connect with Michelle in the following ways: https://www.michelleedickinson.com/ https://breakingintomylife.com/ If you have experienced a crisis and are looking for a place to share your story and gain support, join the After the Crisis with Victoria community here. You can also subscribe to the podcast for future episodes.