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Rural Minds: ANDREA’S JOURNEY -THE STORY BEHIND STIGMA-FREE SOCIETY

I wasn’t attending school – instead, I was caught in a cycle of drinking, drugs, and negative influences. I realized that I was going down the wrong path and was determined to make a change. So, I decided to seek a fresh start and move from my home in Sudbury, Ontario to Vancouver Island, where my mother lived. This marked the beginning of a transformative chapter in my life.

lds society: Inclusive Language Toolkit from Stigma-Free Society

We are very proud to have worked with the Stigma Free Society to contribute to a fantastic resource, the Stigma-Free Glossary. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the types of language to use when referring to an individual from a specific community or identity category.

times colonist: Charity sounds alarm over scam involving reusable grocery bags

The Stigma-Free Society, a Victoria-based charity that offers educational tools on stigma to educators and families, went public this week to warn non-profit organizations and the business community about the scam perpetrated by a company calling itself Konect Media.

cowichan valley citizen: Duncan’s QMS earns ‘Stigma-Free’ designation

Changing societal attitudes to create a safe zone for students, staff and parents at Queen Margaret’s School became the goal for the Stigma-Free Club, thereby earning the Stigma-Free Society of BC’s official “Stigma-Free School” designation.

shoutout arizona: Meet Andrea Paquette | President & Co-Founder

The Stigma-Free Society is a registered Canadian Charity that is committed to creating a world free from stigma. The Society understands that different forms of stigma often intersect, and we are working to break down barriers in order to cultivate understanding and acceptance.

times colonist: Stigma-Free Society helps with youth mental health issues

The Stigma-Free Society has transitioned to a virtual-only future as it gives parents and educators the tools to help school-age youth and teens cope with mental health and well being issues, with a new online Student Mental Health Toolkit.

wellington advertiser: Open Mind - A movement to stomp out stigma

Stigma is a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart. When a person is labelled by their illness, they are seen as part of a stereotyped group. Negative attitudes create prejudice, which leads to negative actions and discrimination.

vancouver guardian: Charitable Choices: Andrea Paquette of Stigma Free Society

The Stigma Free Society aims to create awareness of the various stigmas that exist in the world, develop an understanding of the challenges that numerous people face, and encourage all people to foster acceptance of themselves and others. We spoke with Stigma Free Society President Andrea Paquette to find out more about them.

voyage phoenix: Rising Stars: Meet Andrea Paquette

Our work is gaining national momentum with its transforming service delivery model and our hope is to reach international heights in the coming years. The Stigma-Free Society is committed to the promotion of mental wellness and the elimination of stigma that so often surrounds mental illness, developmental disabilities, and other challenging personal circumstances. Our Society helps people achieve personal empowerment by providing peer support training for youth and adults and raising awareness through education in schools and the community.

BC Gov news: Taking the stigma out of mental health in schools

More children, teens and young adults will gain better access to mental health support through an investment to expand Stigma-Free programs and a special mental health toolkit.

“The pandemic has been hard on the mental health of many children, youth and their families,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “I am grateful to partner with Stigma-Free Society to expand the reach of mental health supports for young people at this critical time.”

goSolo: Combating stigma of all kinds with a focus on mental health

Since 2010, the Stigma-Free Society is a registered provincial Canadian charity committed to combating stigma of all kinds with a focus on mental health. The Charity’s Vision and Mission foster programs that cultivate, encourage, and educate diverse communities to be inclusive and compassionate through awareness and understanding via education, support and leadership.

Our work is gaining national momentum with its transforming service delivery model and our hope is to reach international heights in the coming years.

globe and mail: Support For Farmers

Residents in rural and agricultural communities have some of the highest levels of mental health challenges and suicide rates per capita of all sectors of society. Stigma about mental health issues is also a fundamental problem, exacerbated by limited resources and access to professional help.

Agriculture is vital to the survival of everyone. Farm income is affected by factors such as weather, crop failure and commodity prices. This places immense stress on farmers and rural communities.

folks: This ‘Bipolar Babe’ Stomps Out Stigma With Storytelling

After years of struggling with bipolar disorder, Andrea Paquette (aka the Bipolar Babe) started on a personal journey to remove the stigmas surrounding mental health disorders. Her own story included mania, depression, psychosis, and a suicide attempt – subjects that are often judged harshly by society.

What started out as something very personal soon gained support and Andrea realized her dream of sharing her story in classrooms. She became passionate about educating youth in her community about mental health stigmas and how they affect people’s perception of themselves and others. Ultimately, this all led her to create the Bipolar Disorder Society of BC in 2010.

telus: Meet the Bipolar Babe

After years of struggling with bipolar disorder, Andrea Paquette (aka the Bipolar Babe) started on a personal journey to remove the stigmas surrounding mental health disorders. Her own story included mania, depression, psychosis, and a suicide attempt – subjects that are often judged harshly by society.

What started out as something very personal soon gained support and Andrea realized her dream of sharing her story in classrooms. She became passionate about educating youth in her community about mental health stigmas and how they affect people’s perception of themselves and others. Ultimately, this all led her to create the Bipolar Disorder Society of BC in 2010.

the province: Courage to Come Back: ‘Bipolar Babe’ Andrea Paquette has come a long way from depths of her illness

Andrea Paquette’s untreated bipolar disorder had her imagining herself as Canada’s prime minister before plunging her to the depths of being unable to even take a shower and then swallowing a bottle of pills to try to kill herself.

Those and other experiences since she was diagnosed 13 years ago are all part of the Victoria woman’s journey to become someone who thrives while managing her illness and shows others how they can, too.

Citynews 1130: B.C. mental health toolkit aims to ease the transition back into school amid COVID-19

With most students in B.C. returning to class this week amid a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Stigma-Free Society is offering up a mental health toolkit to help ease the transition.

The toolkit is an online resource available not only to students, but to educators, school counselors, as well as parents and guardians.

“What we do at the Stigma-Free Society toolkit is we offer various downloadable resources, lesson plans, and tons of information just to help people stay mentally well,” explained society President Andrea Paquette. “It’s a pretty innovative and amazing way to create social, emotional learning for these young people, and help them manage their mental health.”

unsinkable: We Can All Live Extraordinary Lives: Unsinkable Andrea Paquette Feature

My name is Andrea and I am known as the Bipolar Babe. It is quite a story how I earned this catchy nickname and it began in 2004. My past personal challenges always lay at the forefront of my mind and they form a story that I will tell others for the rest of my life in hopes that they will find something in it that will encourage them to move forward. I want people to be assured that the most difficult of times will always turn around, and no situation is ever hopeless.

At the age of 25, I arrived in Ottawa, ON, with my political science degree in hand, to pursue a dream of working in the House of Commons to make a difference on the political stage for my country. However, it was not a dream job and a dream life that found me in Ottawa, it was actually bipolar disorder.

surrey now-leader: Surrey Schools pilots ‘stigma-free toolkit’ amid COVID-19 pandemic

The Surrey school district is the first in Canada to pilot Stigma-Free Society’s new online COVID-19 toolkit.

The resource is aimed at students in grades 4 to 12, as well as parents and educators, to address youth wellness during the pandemic.

According to the district, it was developed with mental health experts, professors and psychologists.

vancouver sun: B.C. mental health advocate seeks LGBTQ teens to share their stories of resilience

The Stigma-Free Society is seeking youth in the LGBTQ2S+ community to share their stories in overcoming stigma, which will be a part of a video library in their new Online Stigma-Free Toolkit upcoming in 2020.

Andrea Paquette, Stigma-Free Society, President, shares her story of living with Bipolar Disorder to help others and ensure that nobody suffers in silence like she once did.

Stay tuned for exciting development with the new Online Stigma-Free Toolkit Program.

oak bay news: Victoria partners on ‘Stigma-Free Zone’ event tonight

In partnership with the City of Victoria, the Stigma-Free Society is aiming to declare City Hall a stigma-free zone.

“I’m excited to say that once we’ve completed this work – it’s a work in progress – that Victoria would be the first city with this designation,” said Coun. Jeremy Loveday. “This is really important to the City, working toward eliminating stigma and promoting mental health and community wellness.”

A ‘Stigma-Free Zone’ community event happens tonight (March 20) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Garry Oak Room of the Fairfield Community Centre next to Sir James Douglas elementary.

victoria news: Spectrum Community School to Become the First Stigma-Free Zone School in Victoria, BC

A group of Spectrum Community School students is seeking to make the high school Vancouver Island’s first “stigma-free zone.”

The newly formed Spectrum Philanthropy Club, a group of mostly Grade 12 students, invited Robyn Thomas from the Stigma Free Society to help kick off the initiative last Wednesday morning.

Thomas addressed some 300 Spectrum students in the drama theatre about her own story of mental health, overcoming PTSD, and what can be done to break down certain stigmas including mental health, along with all negative stereotypes, she said.

“We’ll work with the school for the year to help it work towards being a stigma-free zone,” Thomas said.

bell let's talk: Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) – Faces of Mental Illness

Andrea Paquette: After suffering greatly from her bipolar disorder, Andrea got help and decided to inspire others to share their personal stories by creating a website. With the launch of the website, she created supportive and impacting programs and founded the Bipolar Disorder Society of British Columbia, which is now named the Stigma-Free Society. Andrea encourages others to change their attitudes towards mental illnesses by explaining that while people can have a mental illness, they are not defined by their condition.

Bipolar Magazine: BP Hope Blogger – Andrea Paquette

Andrea is a blogger at Bipolar Magazine, BP Hope, so please do check out her blog and feel free to comment. Blogs range from personal stories, bipolar issues, and topics around mental health.

cfnr network: Andrea Paquette Visits North Western British Columbia

“Paquette is the President of the Stigma-Free Society, The Stigma-Free Society is a registered Canadian Charity and has designed programs providing education about stigma’s with an emphasis on mental health and peer support for those facing mental health challenges.

This afternoon, the Bipolar Babe visited the St. Veritas Catholic School, to talk with students in grades 7-9.

In the northwest, it can be challenging to find support for mental health and Paquette says it’s important to bring awareness to rural communities.”

stigma fighters: Featuring Andrea “Bipolar Babe”

“I am passionate and extremely involved in mental health engagement in my community. I launched www.bipolarbabe.com in May of 2009 and created a logo with a talented artist titled ‘Bipolar Babe: Stomping out Stigma.’ Thereafter, I designed and distributed bipolar babe postcards, which read “Creating a World of Understanding, Empathy, and Acceptance for Those that Have a Mental Health Condition.”

Telus: Victoria Community Board Grants Bipolar Disorder Society of BC $20,000

TELUS thanks Greater Victoria volunteers.

BP Magazine for Bipolar – This is Me

Andrea Paquette Featured in BP Magazine.

Healthplace.com hires Bipolar Babe as their new Stigma Blogger

Andrea Paquette AKA Bipolar Babe is now blogging for www.healthyplace.com and is super excited to be stigma stomping.

Times Colonist: Local Victoria Teen Speaks Out About her Struggles with Bipolar

Ten minutes after speaking out about bipolar disorder, Jamie van Gessel is still trembling. It takes guts for a teenager to go public with a microphone in the middle of Victoria about anything, never mind mental illness.

The Mental Illness Awareness Week

Upon arriving in Ottawa, I connected with my political colleagues, made new friends and began to establish myself in a place I then called home. I loved Ottawa but suddenly things changed.

georgia straight: Bipolar Babe Boosts Mental Health

Andrea Paquette describes her former self as a bad ass. At 16, the Sudbury, Ontario, native had dropped out of high school, drank and smoked heavily, and was headed down a “destructive” path.

junie's newsletter: Bipolar Babe: The Story of a Remarkable Woman

This week it is my joy and privilege to feature Andrea Paquette, most often referred to as Bipolar Babe. If you live in Victoria and you travel in the mental health circles, you will have undoubtedly come upon her name, especially in the fields of youth, mental health, and recovery.

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