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Suzy Johnston Syrett
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At the age of 17 Suzy Johnston Syrett developed the initial symptoms of depression with the condition developing into manic depression/bipolar affective disorder whilst studying at St Andrews University.
After graduating, her deteriorating health saw her being hospitalised on 6 occasions with acute episodes of severe depression. Following her recovery, she first became involved in mental health awareness programmes in 1999 when she joined the Education Team of the Renfrewshire Association for Mental Health. Giving talks to senior secondary pupils, social workers etc and writing about having mental illness for student psychiatric nurses led to the writing of her autobiography ' The Naked Bird Watcher' which was first published in the Spring of 2003. 'To Walk on Eggshells' by Jean Johnston is the carer's account of Suzy's journey of recovery. Spring 2009 saw the publication of 'The Snow Globe Journals' - a more probing and searching account of Suzy's battles with mental illness.
She is involved with the Scottish Executive’s ‘seeme’ Campaign that addresses stigma and discrimination whilst raising awareness. Having written various articles and features, she researched and initially drafted the '1 in 4' Scottish Association for Mental Health Booklet for young people.
It was following this that both the Scottish Government's Mental Health Division and some of the mental health organisations that she had been involved in suggested that she became an adviser on mental health, and so in June 2004 she set up The Cairn to publish, promote, write and advise on mental illness and its issues.
 
For Suzy, The Cairn (the Scottish term for a mound of stones set as a landmark) symbolises the recovery from mental illness; the foundation stones being the support mechanisms holding the mental health in place – the support mechanisms being the network that is made up of either family, friends, colleagues or professionals.
She writes on mental illness/mental health and their issues – either in an educational and awareness role, or as a topic for everyday discussion and debate, and in informative formats such as booklets and leaflets, as well as leading journals and magazines - including the BMJ (British Medical Journal), the "This Life" column for 'Mental Health Today' and newspapers in the UK and USA.
 Suzy is a musician/song writer with Bad Alice. Bad Alice is an acoustic duo which Suzy formed a year ago with Lindsay Robertson and their music is alternative rock, the themes being based on surviving mental distress, stigma and the social issues affecting the young of today.
Bad Alice have recently recorded their CD "Walk in my Shoes" and for further information on it, their music and work please visit the links section.
Suzy believes in the importance of good self-management for maintaining good mental health when recovering from a period of mental illness or a psychiatric disorder. Suzy is married to Michel Syrett and their home is Argyll and Bute.
It is her belief that being involved in mental illness/mental health should be seen as an ongoing learning process and believes that mental illness should be accepted, understood and respected by all.
The BBC Radio Scotland programme 'Being Suzy Johnston' has been shortlisted in the Mental Health Media Awards, under the Factual Radio category.
Michel Syrett is a well known writer/lecturer on business management and creativity who has a bipolar disorder and who also cared for his father who had manic depression for 15 years. He is past chair and founding trustee of MDF The Bipolar Organisation, the UK’s principal national charity representing people with a bipolar diagnosis. The author of some 20 books and reports he has also written and spoken extensively on mental health issues.
To find out about The Cairn Training either click on the Training section at the top of the page or contact Michel Syrett direct to discuss The Cairn's presentations, talks and workshops or if you would like him to assist in the production and editing of magazines, publication materials or books for your organisation
Telephone - 01436.674999/676217
Michel is editor of Pendulum, the magazine of MDF, The Bipolar Organisation and is author of the BBC Booklet entitled The Secret Life of Manic Depression which supported the BBC Season on manic depression/bipolar disorder which included the documentary with Stephen Fry – The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive
PDF file - The Secret Life of Manic Depression: Everything You Need to Know About Bipolar Disorder, 24 pages (365 Kb).
Current and completed commissions view them here
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