Hanz Medard

M.S/Ed.S, BCBA Lover of multiple topics related to popular culture, travel and just sharing my thoughts hoping to make a difference and promote thought provoking conversation.

By Hanz Medard Mar 25, 201925 Mar 2019

When Shaming Goes Wrong

There’s a disturbing trend I’ve been noticing of late and I want to address it as it’s something that has been on my mind for a bit. This will be … Continue reading When Shaming Goes Wrong

LMax Guttman is the owner of Recovery Now, a private mental health practice in Ardsley, New York. Max’s battle with schizophrenia began at Binghamton University in his last semester of college. Max was discharged from Greater Binghamton State Hospital Center in July of 2008, after spending six months there. His recovery was swift, but not painless, and certainly difficult. Max refers to his stance on recovery in his journal articles as “Too big to fail.” No obstacle too big, no feat out of reach, Max let nothing stop him in his path to recovery and healing. While Max’s symptoms began during his last semester, he successfully graduated from college, and his diploma was waiting for him at home after his discharge from the hospital. On one of the newest intramuscular injections (IM) available, and after learning the true meaning of adherence, Max later went on to publish articles about the use of injectable medications to overcome his own symptoms. Through paranoia, hallucinations, and other symptoms of schizophrenia, Max didn’t let anything stop him from his return to academia, and writing. In his childhood, Max was a lover of language. When schizophrenia tried to rob him of his academic ability, Max fought back. With the use of medications and therapy, he finally regained his ability to communicate and to pursue his passions and dreams for higher education. Through his work as a social worker, therapist, and disability rights advocate, Max fights for those without a voice in the system. He seeks to help those who are struggling with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses not just achieve stabilization but thrive. Max is relentless in his passion for helping people who find themselves vulnerable, and those without the ability to care for themselves. Today, Max teaches social work students at Fordham University to be leaders in their practice. Max is the author of University on Watch: Crisis in the Academy, which he published under the pen name J. Peters in 2019. Max writes on his lived experience, and also brings his story into his work. Max blogs daily on his site mentalhealthaffairs.blog and for other sites around the United States and Europe, bringing his passion for mental health to consumers everywhere.

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is Mental Illness a disability?
So, I want to pose a question: is a mental health disorder a disability? I suspect the answer to this question hinges on how disability is contextualized. There are several … Continue reading is Mental Illness a disability?
The Old, the New: The Next Steps in the Mental Health Movement
The system is broken. We all know it. We all preach it. When reflecting upon my experiences, both personal, and professional, I remember this short exchange between myself and a … Continue reading The Old, the New: The Next Steps in the Mental Health Movement
In Response to the Mighty
So, I read an article today on the Mighty titled: “I’m not high functioning- and I’m okay with that”. So, this is more complicated than it seems, to quote the … Continue reading In Response to the Mighty
From The Revisionist: Rise of the Prosumer
“In the future, further work should deconstruct categories of medicine, psychiatry, and social work and encourage strength based approaches that will supplant new-institutionalization and create a new gold standard in … Continue reading From The Revisionist: Rise of the Prosumer
Why we Adapt
Ever find yourself in the most perfect or seemingly perfect moment? You just want things to stay that way, right? Well, as a human, you probably have already discovered that … Continue reading Why we Adapt
The Benefits of Taking Inventory
We all know that staying positive is helpful in promoting good mental health. Well, this is getting harder and harder for some folks. Staying positive has become increasingly difficult when … Continue reading The Benefits of Taking Inventory
What exactly does it mean to be a peer?
The peer world is divided. Okay, so that’s not news. Either are the divisions within the mental health community on how to best advocate and push for better health care. … Continue reading What exactly does it mean to be a peer?
J. Peters has always been “Watching”
I want to make it very much known to all that read this, that J. Peters has always been watching, long before he put any University on Watch. Indeed, during … Continue reading J. Peters has always been “Watching”
Lost Chapter of UOW: Bombs over New London University
The next step in Contesting Admission seemed rather obvious to me. Pummel the English Department into submission. In the words of President George W. Bush, this will be “shock and … Continue reading Lost Chapter of UOW: Bombs over New London University
The Kindness Rocks Project
The Kindness Rocks Project, founded by Megan Murphy, is about discovering the beauty and profound possibilities of hope in acts of kindness, and has become a grassroots movement. Megan Murphy … Continue reading The Kindness Rocks Project

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