Miriam Feldman

Miriam Feldman – one of the strongest women I know -- recounts her journey as the mother of a son struggling with schizophrenia.  She points out that as a mother, you tend to worry about child abduction or car accidents.  Nothing prepares you for serious mental illness.  From her book:   “This is the story of how mental illness unspools an entire family…it exposes the shortfalls of our mental health system, the destructive impact of stigma, shame and isolation, and, finally, the falsity of the notion of a perfect family.”  Mimi lived across the street from me, and her son is the same age as mine.  I did not know about this story until I read her book!Why does this have to be such a secret?  And why does it have to be so hard?  In this interview, you’ll hear about the things that must change if we are going to interrupt this tragic cycle of illness, despair, hospitalization and derailed dreams.    Fortunately, Nick did not end up homeless or incarcerated, but this is too often the circle of life for people with mental illness in our country.  Nick’s story adds to the growing chorus that this must change in America.Mimi’s 2020  book is called  He Came in With It: A Portrait of Motherhood and Madness.Her website is a treasure trove of her art, her blogs, information about her book and resource information for families and friends trying to understand mental illness and how to navigate this space.Here is a “TED-type” talk she recently gave as part of a NAMI Washington State “The Brainpower Chronicles” event in November, 2020.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Jc8k8NKHM&t=127sLink Article in LA Yoga October 2020Instagram handle:  @mimitheriveterLinks to other topics referenced during this interview.About NAMI | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental IllnessSchizophrenia and Related Disorders AllianceBring Change to Mind HIPAA – the Health Insurance Portability and  Accountability ActGould’s Farm

“People with mental illnesses lose their identities, become known only by their illness. They deserve to be seen and known.” —Miriam FeldmanWhen her son teenage Nick was diagnosed with schizophrenia, Miriam’s frenetic but happy life as an artist in Los Angeles was upended by one catastrophe after another. In her tireless search for help and answers, Miriam learns about the shocking shortfalls of our mental health system and the destructive impact of mental illness stigma, shame and isolation. He Came In With It isn’t just a thoughtful critique or rallying call that breathes new life into the fight for mental healthcare reform;it is also a tender, relatable, and humorous account of one woman’s attempt to be, quite simply, a good parent. Feldman’s memoir is beautifully written and her bold, brave, relentless love comes through in each page.

Episode 80, we interview Miriam Feldman and discuss what it's like to raise a son with Schizophrenia, but really this applies to every family who faces challenges. Miriam recounts how she supported her family, marriage, career, her son and her own sanity during the most trying times of her life. We dive into Miriam Feldman is an artist, writer, and mental health activist who splits her time between her Los Angeles studio and her farm in rural Washington state. She has been married to her husband Craig O’Rourke, also an artist, for 34 years and they have four adult children. Their 33-year-old son, Nick, has schizophrenia.With an MFA in painting from Otis Art Institute, Miriam founded Demar Feldman Studios, Inc., a distinguished mural and decorative art company, in 1988. At the same time, she built a strong career as a fine artist, represented by Hamilton Galleries in Santa Monica, CA.When Nick was diagnosed in 2004, Miriam became an activist and a writer. With first-hand knowledge of our mental health system, she decided to be an advocate for those who have no voice. She serves on the advisory board of Bring Change 2 Mind, the non-profit founded by Glenn Close, and writes a monthly blog for their website. Miriam is active in leadership at NAMI Washington and writes for their newsletters. She is a frequent guest on mental health podcasts and is active on Instagram, where she has created a community of family and loved ones dealing with mental illnessFind Miriams book: "He Came In With It, A portrait of Motherhood and Madness" at all book outlets.Find more about Miriam at: www.miriam-feldman.comFind Bev & Heather at: Instagram: BitchesBeBrave, Facebook: Bitches Be Brave and www.bitchesbebrave.com. Email us at: Babesbebrave@gmail.com--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bitchesbebrave/message

Artist, author, and mental health advocate, Miriam Feldman, joins Chelsea 8:30 minutes in to talk about her memoir, He Came In With It: A Portrait of Motherhood and Madness, a story of how mental illness, specifically her son's schizophrenia, unspools an entire family and how, in the midst of chaos, an invisible force can motivate a mother to step in and do the unimaginable in order to protect and care for her child. To connect with Miriam, visit her:Website: https://www.miriam-feldman.comArt: https://www.miriam-feldman.com/artBook via Amazon: He Came in With It: A Portrait of Motherhood and MadnessAuthor Intro: https://youtu.be/6FScJfN9i_8__Work with Chelsea: www.breakupward.com/shopChelsea’s website: www.breakupward.comSign up for Chelsea’s newsletter: bit.ly/tyhbletterInstagram: www.instagram.com/thankyouheartbreakEmail: Chelsea@breakupward.com

Miriam Feldman is the author of He Came In With It, a Portrait of Motherhood and Madness. It’s not all tragedy as there are layers and Miriam’s memoir is beautiful on every level. Enjoy the show. Drinks with Tony is on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, and other podcast outlets.

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Miriam Feldman. Miriam is a painter, writer, and mother originally from Los Angeles, California. After her son, Nick's, diagnosis with Schizophrenia more than ten years ago, she began writing to document and explore the ways this new reality affected her relationship with her children, her husband, and herself. Her blog, https://www.miriam-feldman.com, explores issues of motherhood, mental illness and the politics of our mental health system. She is also the founder and owner of Demar Feldman Studios, Inc., a specialty painting company that focuses on architectural finishes, murals, and decorative art for residential and commercial locations in Southern California and abroad. Clients include Samuel L. Jackson & LaTanya Richardson Jackson , Wolfgang Puck, Patricia Heaton & David Hunt, Tony Shalhoub and Brooke Adams, Jay & Mavis Leno and many more. She has run the company for 30 years. Miriam holds an MFA in fine art from Otis College of Art and Design. Her paintings are in collections across the United States. Today we’re discussing her memoir He Came In With It, in which she chronicles her experiences as she came to grips with her son’s mental illness. In this episode Miriam and I discuss: How she chose what stayed in her memoir and what got cut What her family said about the content of her memoirs Her experience switching mediums from painting to writing Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/315

Maintaining Perspective in Challenging Times | Mrs. Miriam Feldman on Coronavirus by Congregation Beth Jacob