Society and mental health

Disabilities vs Abilities: What happens if you shift the focus?

White Swan Foundation
John Nash: Disability John Nash suffered from paranoia when he was young. At 31, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He spent a good part of his 30s in hospitals getting treatment for various mental illnesses.
John Nash: Disability John Nash suffered from paranoia when he was young. At 31, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He spent a good part of his 30s in hospitals getting treatment for various mental illnesses.
John Nash: Ability One of the finest mathematicians of his time, Nash's revolutionary game theory, his PhD thesis on non-cooperative games, won him the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences in 1994.
Van Gogh: Disability Van Gogh had depression, anxiety and bouts of manic-depressive disorder. He describes his depression as "I am so angry with myself because I cannot do what I should like to do, and at such a moment one feels as if one were lying bound hand and foot at the bottom of a deep dark well, utterly helpless." At 37, he had killed himself.
Van Gogh : Ability Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most influential artists of Europe in the 20th century. He produced 2,000 works of art in his short life span. His biggest supporter, his brother Theo used to constantly encourage him to fight his illness and continue his passion.
Deepika Padukone: Disability Indian filmstar Deepika Padukone suffered from depression at a time when she was winning awards for her performances and signing up new films. “I woke up one morning, feeling empty and directionless,” says Deepika.
Deepika Padukone: Ability Deepika has won accolades for her performances in a variety of roles in the Indian film industry. She made her struggle with depression public, to help several others who go through similar experiences and are unable to lead a good quality of life. She launched a non-profit organisation to create awareness about mental health.
Kay Radfield Jamison: Disability Dr Jamison has lived with a long spell of manic-depressive disorder, the struggles of which she penned in her memoir "An Unquiet Mind'. She struggled with bipolar disorder when she held the position of a professor of psychology.
Kay Radfield Jamison: Ability Dr Kay Radfield Jamison is a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She did pioneering research in the field of mental health, and authored several bestselling books. She has won several awards for her research, including the title of “Hero of Medicine” by Time magazine.
Marcus Trescothick: Disability Marcus, a successful England cricketer, had to cut short his international tours because of clinical depression. He suffered from this problem throughout his brief but remarkable international cricketing career.
Marcus Trescothick: Ability Marcus was one of the leading batsmen of England for most of the first decade of this century. With the support of his teammates and family, he battled his mental health problem and made several returns to the international cricket before announcing his retirement.

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