Here’s the latest in a series of interviews with outstanding speakers we’ve lined up for the Society for Participatory Medicine’s second annual conference on Oct. 17 in Boston. Register here.

Embracing participatory medicine has helped Gabe Howard @GabeHoward29 manage his bipolar and anxiety disorders, and allowed him to become an award-winning writer, mental health activist, speaker and educator on a topic that stigmatizes so many.

“For me,” he said via email, “participatory medicine means that I work with my medical team rather than blindly follow directions. It also means I understand what is happening and ultimately have a say in the kind of care I receive.”

Gabe, along with John Grohol, PsyD, founder of PsychCentral.com, will present “Talking Mental Health” at the Society for Participatory Medicine’s 2nd Annual Conference, which takes place Wednesday, October 17, in Boston, attached to the prestigious Connected Health conference. Their session will be a live recording of the popular Psych Central Show Podcast.

Dr. Grohol, an SPM co-founder and board member, noted that Gabe and co-host Vincent Wales have done nearly 100 podcast episodes since 2016, bringing a mental health or psychology topic into focus, usually with the help of an expert guest. “We see The Psych Central Show podcast as one more modality that allows us to reach a new generation of people,” Dr. Grohol said. Of Gabe, Dr. Grohol added, “He is always thinking about new projects and possibilities to help expand our educational reach to a broader audience.”

“The main takeaway,” Gabe said of his upcoming live podcast session at SPM, “will hopefully be how important it is for everyone–but especially patients–to pay attention to their mental health.”

Dr. Grohol added, “What most people don’t realize about mental health is that it’s a part of everyone’s life whether they give it any attention or not. When we neglect this component of our life, it has the potential to negatively impact other areas, such as the quality of our relationships, work, and stress levels.”

As he considers how he himself will spend his time at the SPM conference, Gabe said, “I want to learn how to be a better advocate, how the different ‘illness spaces’ connect, and what we all have in common. Mostly I just want to keep an open mind and learn as much as I can.”

Join Us in Boston

Learn more about SPM’s second annual conference on Oct. 17 in Boston or register here today ($100 for members/$150 for non-members). In our early years it’s priced as a great bargain for a full day. And see this blog’s #SPM2018 series for more about, or by, the speakers and activities.