By Chato B. Stewart
Natasha Tracy
2012 Mental Health Hero Cartoon-A-Thon
Drawing done by Chato Stewart
Natasha Tracy is an award-winning writer and social media strategist specializing in the area of mental health. Natasha routinely writes on bipolar disorder, depression, psychopharmacology and other mental health issues. Her expertise has been sought by academics and reporters and she is to be featured in an upcoming documentary on bipolar disorder.
She three blogs focusing on bipolar disorder and mental illness: the Bipolar Burble, Breaking Bipolar at HealthyPlace.com and Bipolar Bites at Healthline.com.
Natasha is the recipient of three back-to-back web health awards for her work on Breaking Bipolar and was named the second most influential online depression writer by Sharecare.com.
Natasha has a bachelor of computer science and has previously worked in training, implementation, technical writing and program management for a variety of companies including Microsoft. She is currently a social media strategist and writer and recently spoke on the issue of healthcare blogging at the National Council’s Conference on Mental Health and Addiction.
Natasha believes that well-informed and trustworthy information can change the way people feel about mental illness, fight stigma and save lives.
Getting to Know You:
What makes you laugh? John Stewart and Steven Colbert make me laugh. I’m all about intelligent humor. If you can make me think and laugh at the same time, I’m yours forever.
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By Chato B. Stewart
Alfred Jefferson
2012 Mental Health Hero Cartoon-A-Thon
Drawing done by Chato Stewart
I’m an advocate with epilepsy and situational depression.
I don’t like to sit around doing nothing when I feel something needs to happen, so I joined a NAMI affiliate’s board of directors, 3 committees, 2 councils and I used to be a member of a program that took part in getting the word out to those who should know and those who need to know what’s happening in Hillsborough county.
(Read More about this Mental Health Hero.)
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By Chato B. Stewart
Julie Hanks
2012 Mental Health Hero Cartoon-A-Thon
Drawing done by Chato Stewart
A self-proclaimed “social media junkie,” licensed psychotherapist Julie Hanks, LCSW was recently recognized as the #1 online depression influencer by ShareCare for her extensive work promoting mental health resources online.
Hanks has over 20 years in the mental health field, providing outpatient psychotherapy services to children, adolescents, adults, couples and families with complex mental health and relationship problems.
In addition to providing therapy and serving as Executive Director of Wasatch Family Therapy, she writes for PsychCentral’s Ask The Therapist and Private Practice Toolbox, and for her own site JulieHanks.com. Mrs Hanks’ down-to-earth professionalism makes her a sought after TV and media contributor.
She recently appeared on TLC and Discovery Health and has been quoted in national publications including Women’s Health, Parenting, Cosmopolitan, E!, Social Work Today, and others. Ms. Hanks also consults with private practice therapists around the world to help them embrace technology and create a practice that is good for their own mental health. Her most valuable experience has been in the trenches of family life for 23 years as wife and mother of 4 children.
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By Chato B. Stewart
National Children’s
Mental Health Awareness Week:
Chato’s Kids
2012 Mental Health Heroes Cartoon-A-Thon
Drawing done by Chato’s kids, ages 6, 9, 10 and 13
This being National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, I thought it was only fitting to feature my children as the next four heroes. They decided themselves that they wanted to draw their own caricatures.
I have featured my children in a lot of “The Family Stew” cartoons and they continue to inspire me! While each of my children are unique in their own way, they all have Daddy’s funny bone and sense of humor. Needless to say, we laugh a lot!
Below are my girls’ self-portrait, and my middle girl “Precious” was the one that added her “loopty-loops.” That is what she calls the Go Lime/Lime-Lighter support ribbons.
I thought it would be fun to ask each of my children to share what mental health month means to them.
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By Chato B. Stewart
John McManamy
2012 Mental Health Hero Cartoon-A-Thon
Drawing done by Chato Stewart
John McManamy is the award-winning author of “Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You That You Need to Know” (HarperCollins, 2006), and editor and publisher of “McMan’s Depression and Bipolar Web.”
He also contributes as an expert patient on “HealthCentral” and has his own blog, “Knowledge is Necessity.” (FACEBOOK)
John has just self-published a new book on the funny side of mental illness and life in general, “Raccoons Respect My Piss But Watch Out For Skunks: My Funny Life on a Planet Not of My Choosing That I Now – Sort of, Maybe, Well Okay – Call Home.”
Says John: “When you’re both depressed and crazy, life has a way of becoming hilarious.”
Read more about John McManamy
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