We're back...with a plan

Hello my brave, dedicated Phoenixes,

Phoenix Rising has risen from the ashes of its stagnation (now that I have finished with school and can dedicate more of my time) and we are ready to change the world once again.

I started this organization almost exactly a year ago with the following goal:

Our mission: to start a dialog on social challenges (homelessness, loneliness, mental illness, and addiction) and to spread hope. 

This lofty goal is still the ultimate aim for Phoenix Rising, though we have decided to attack it a little more gently. Rather than trying to spark conversation on all social challenges all at once, we have decided to begin with just mental health. This is just for now; as we grow, we will immerse ourselves in a larger dialog on marginalization and privilege.

Here are some of our upcoming plans:

1). Update this blog more frequently-we are aiming for about one post per week that will hopefully inspire and intrigue you. You should also expect updates on what the organization is doing. You may be wondering what happened to our old blog; unfortunately, it was deleted. You can find the archives here: http://phoenixdialog.blogspot.com/2014_10_01_archive.html

If you are interested in contributing to the blog, either regularly or just to write one post, you may contact me at: bipolarconversations@gmail.com

2). Make more videos-mental health topics planned include information on anxiety, depression, and psychosis, techniques on how to cope with symptoms, ideas of how to deal with stigma, and ways to help a loved one with mental health issues. Our YouTube channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSbFmLYoAL60iA6juLXXa2Q

3). Create a cultural newsletter, to be published once a month (initially), for people who deal with mental health issues. The newsletter will include info on recent developments in mental health research, book reviews, creative fiction, and poetry. We are currently looking for people coping with mental illness to contribute to this effort through writing and/or art.

4). Publish an e-book series which I am writing. The first book will be entitled Diagnosis, and features a young woman who has recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The story follows her as she makes friends with other patients, learns about the imperfections in the mental healthcare system, discovers that she has superpowers (yes, superpowers! She can travel through mirrors and directly observe other people's mental activity), and ultimately decides to change the way people with mental illness are perceived and treated herself, with the help of her new-found friends. Updates on the book, along with excerpts, will be made available in future posts.

Thank you very much for continuing to follow us. If you are new, welcome!

Also, check out our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/affjerf?ref=aymt_homepage_panel.

<3 Minerva