Schizophrenic.NYC was featured in The Mighty!
Michelle Hammer wants to change the way people from New York City think about mental illness. But, instead of fighting stigma with words or campaigns, she’s doing it with designs anyone can wear.
Hammer, who lives with schizophrenia, decided it was time to make a change after encountering a homeless man with schizophrenia on the subway. “I wondered to myself, ‘If I didn’t have the help from my family, friends and doctor, then I could easily be homeless too,’” Hammer told The Mighty. “I wanted to create something of my own that I could be proud of, and announce to everyone that I live with a mental illness. I wanted to come up with a way to raise awareness for mental illness in New York City, because I don’t like how most New Yorkers associate mental illness with homelessness and the word ‘crazy.’”
