Brother committed suicide 4/15/14. 10 year fundraiser. Donate to National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) on 4/15/2024. https://www.facebook.com/changeforpainedbrains
**Where to Find Us**
-Donation page:
(1) Fundly.com = https://fundly.com/change-for-the-brain
(2) Indiegogo.com =http://www.indiegogo.com/project/preview/5b2d9342
-Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/changeforpainedbrains
-Twitter: @CFPBforNIMH and Change4PainedBrains
**Help Out**
Donate your: money or time or energy or compassion, and save a life, or give me one minute to convince you. Go.
If you are reading this, you are infinitely happier than John, my mentally ill brother who killed himself alone and hopeless, void of peace in any form – unlike you. If you felt any emotion reading that sentence, you are alive and therefore don’t perceive every day as an anxious battle against crushing depression, like John. You’re happy AND alive. That’s great!
You possessed four things. I already stole the first, you can keep the second, and I advise you give me the third then fourth if you’d like to keep the second.
First, you possessed curiosity, but I robbed you blind and transformed it into attention.
Second, you possess relationships with friends. Fact: Friends are awesome. I want you to have them. Then you’ll be happy, alive, and surrounded by friends. That’s beautiful.
Third, you possess free time, even if a fleeting few minutes. The average American will spend two years – 730 days – watching commercials in their lives. You gave me this many minutes, so relax and let go of a couple more
Fourth, you possess the power to donate material and immaterial things. How you handle your ownership of those things will alter – positively or negatively – the happy life we celebrated in the first paragraph.
Your attention is clearly mine, so let us focus on your second possession: friendly relationships. You enjoy familial, buddy-buddy, or significant relationships. Unfortunately, at this very moment, 1-in-every-6 of your friends is suffering the nightmarish symptoms of mental illnesses, and has been for at least one year and potentially many more. Of your pals and/or gals, 1-in-every-4 of them will experience the anguish of a psychiatric illness for a portion of a single year, but could easily join the tormented 1-in-6.
I’ve stolen your attention, you gave me your time, and I want you to keep your friends. You’re alive, happy, and have friends – what more can a human yearn for? John would sprint a marathon with a broken femur to be in your shoes right now.
We reach your fourth possession: donation power. I ask you to donate $10 to my legally recognized 501(3)(c) non-profit fundraiser built to generate capital for mental illness research. If you can’t or won’t donate the monetary gift, that’s ok – not everyone can. But you’ve made it this far, so we both know you have at least ten minutes if not dollars. Donation of those minutes is not necessary at this moment.
Donate those minutes at the office or in lecture, after work or leaving class, on the couch or in your bed. Simply share the link to this page on any and every social network you digitally dive into. Click, slide, click, and click. See? Clicking, selecting, copying and pasting didn’t even take those ten minutes. Spread awareness and we WILL change the face of mental illness suffering and treatment.
But I do ask you this – please donate one of the tens, as a minimum (increase freely!), be it your dollars or minutes.
With such little capital or effort, you can help change these neglected numerical nightmares that statistically support the insanely sad, cerebral-slamming, one-in-six statement.
The unbiased facts illuminate the innumerable individuals – maybe your fiancé, friend or father – who’re internalizing invisible injuries, ever-narrowing neurochemical nooses, never-ending negativity negating any notion of knowing peace.
Hoards of helpless souls suffer silently but still smile strongly, while you, myself, and the rest of the world walk by without wisdom of their weighing wounds.
We walk, talk and whistle, worry-less about the mysterious and meandering mentally murderous missile.
Without experience, in a cocky manner we said, “I’ve never known a single soul who is sick in the head.” Tactlessly perpetuating mental illness stigmas that spread – unacceptably uninformed, utterly unaware, ignorantly unread – we spew our ‘expert’ opinions, until the unimaginable unfolds – at his own hand, your best friend and brother is dead.
**Skeptical?**
If anyone feels any skepticism, please let me know and I will provide as much evidence as humanly possible that this is a legally defined and recognized 501(3)(c) Non-Profit Corporation. I can produce Excel spreadsheets of donor dates, times, amounts, and to which banks accounts and by which processes. If you would like an official IRS confirmation I can provide that as well. If you would like to see the independent bank account that this money is being stored in, I can provide that too. With that, I can also show a record of zero withdrawals – only deposits. Aside from giving anyone information that would allow them to steal the money, I am going to make this as polished and transparent as humanly possible – all of my contact data is at the bottom, as well as CFPB, Inc’s social media accounts – which I run. If you’re concerned, please voice it publicly or privately, and I’ll produce as many screen shots or physical documents as possible for you.
This is a non-profit on steroids. I use my own savings to pay the bills of running the website, collecting and transferring money, making this legally not-for-profit, and all the annual fees associated. I even cover the difference created by the cost of using Fundly.com: they tax roughly 8% of every donation. So, where the Fundly page for us may say that CFPB, Inc. has raised $100, the bank account will say we’ve raised $92. I will cover the $8 from my personal funds. Just like I covered the $1,000 needed to turn this Facebook group into a legal 501(3)(c) non-profit organization recognized as such by the IRS and the US Government. What I am trying to say is your donation WILL make a difference. *Literally* 100% of your donation goes to the fund. And if you have a change of heart – that’s A-Ok. Contact me and I will reimburse you in full! This is a group based on a real desire to change the face of mental healthcare – not one that coerces people into opening their wallets.
I hope there’s no more skepticism, but if there is, please contact me!
**Where to Find Us**
-Donation page: https://fundly.com/change-for-the-brain
-Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/changeforpainedbrains
-Twitter: @CFPBforNIMH and Change4PainedBrains
-Reddit: /u/Change4PainedBrains
**Help Out**
My oldest brother and best friend, John Keenan Carrigan (7/23/86 – 4/15/14) lost a decade long battle with severe depression and crippling anxiety and took his life on the fifteenth of April two thousand fourteen Anno Domini. Those who loved John, as well as strangers who have lost loved ones, are trying to raise as much money imaginable for one decade, until 4/15/2024. We will then donate it to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to fund further research into these diseases that trap people in mental prisons.
Statistically, 1-in-every-6 people are restricted and limited by these psychiatric shackles. The ratio could be even worse, however, as a major aspect of most psychiatric disorders is not speaking up, attributed to three main causes grouped under the umbrella term ‘Anosognosia.’ This is an unawareness of being “sick”; an inability (fear, anxiety) to initiate discussion; or simple refusal (embarrassment, fear of stigmas, medication, or viewed as weak, etc) to talk about said illnesses. Meaning, it is more likely than not the number of people facing daily battles in their brains is far greater than we know.
Donate if you knew John, donate if you’ve lost someone yourself, donate if you personally are/have suffered from a mental illness, or donate because being a good human just feels so good. Just click on this link: https://fundly.com/change-for-the-brain. That’s the link for monetary donations. However, you can donate your energy by sharing this page/link/story with your social circle or donate your compassion and love by reaching out to those you suspect might be hurting – because 1 in 6 are.
Why “Change For Pained Brains?”
Buckle up, because I’ve got a tale of wondrous magical deeds and promises of love and healing for you. A story, an idea, a wish and a goal absolutely diametrically opposed to the fear, doom and gloom the media feeds us about humanity. No need to move from the loving embrace of the chair or couch you are lounging around on or to relocate your comfy buns out of their cozy spot.
As far back as my memory goes, John always had a large (~3 feet tall) wine bottle in his room where he would collect change. Two decades of failed attempts can reassure you this puppy was chalked full of coins. Just days before he passed, he emptied the bottle after umpteen years and rolled the contents in coin wrappers. An undeniable symbol of finality, of throwing in the towel and packing up the bags, the sight overwhelmed me with emotion and I tore them apart in angry as ever but crying with no control.
After keeping the change in a bucket in my room, not quite sure what my next move was that would comfort me further, I vaguely decided I’d make a tiny personal fundraiser and one day donate the contents to a worthy cause. Soon my girlfriend began collecting change as well. That led to us giving my two brothers and parents – and soon her family members – cups labeled “The John Fund” to keep in their cars. Soon enough, extended family members across the country started collection baskets, jars, and cups in their homes, offices, cars and other areas they spent large amounts of time and cash in. John’s old friends joined in next, followed by my grade school, high school, and college friends, as well as past work colleagues. My brothers and I unofficially began a fundraiser in his name to donate to depression research. I coined it, “Change for John.” Double pun – instead of one – so very intended.
Get it? “Change for John.” It’s legal tender in metallic, circular coin form called ‘change,’ and ‘change’ also implies the donated money will help fund further mental illness research. Research yields treatment, which will result in ‘change,’ and the whole thing is ‘for John’, since he is the inspiration for this. ‘Change for John.’ I know, I know…I’m a literary genius. John taught me to use humor to tackle life’s difficult situations, so I do and I am. If they offend you or make my efforts and/or intentions any less earnest, I sincerely apologize and would love to personally tell you how, why, and when John taught me this very important lesson in life.
I’ve since changed the name to “Change for Pained Brains,” as to open it to anyone and everyone, not just John. It began after I met a girl named Megan over Reddit who lost her sister just 13 days after I lost John. We talked about how it affected our lives and how something needed to be changed. It was then that I realized I needed to dedicate it to more than just John – it had to include Megan’s sister and, well, everyone who had ever been affected. It is now aimed at anyone at all affected by mental illness, if their life was altered imperceptibly or totally; directly or indirectly; by diseases known or unknown; singularly identified, multi-illness combinations, or hazily undefined hybrid illnesses. These include, but are not limited to (www.nami.org):
1. Anosognosia
2. Anxiety Disorders
3. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders (ADD/ADHD)
4. Autism Spectrum Disorders
5. Bipolar Disorder
6. Borderline Personality Disorder
7. Depression
8. Dissociative Disorders
9. Dual Diagnosis: Substance Abuse and Mental Illness
10. Eating Disorders
11. Insomnia*
12. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
13. Panic Disorder
14. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
15. Psychosis
16. Schizoaffective Disorder
17. Schizophrenia
18. Sleep Apnea*
19. Seasonal Affective Disorders
20. Substance Abuse (Addictive personalities; eventually reach pleasurable drugs)
21. Tourette’s Syndrome
*Chronic (long-term/development) poor sleep quality can cause psychiatric illnesses
Currently, the NIMH gets $1.5B annually (In comparison to the $631.280 billion the military will get next year), but even if we can pay for some glassware, power the lights for a week or bring an antidepressant to market 1 day earlier than it would be, I (and you should too) will be happy.
Do it for John, do it for you, or it for everyone trapped in a mental prison. You might know somebody suffering mentally and find out in the least desirable fashion.
As Ivan Georgiev, my good friend and bodybuilder who hails from Bulgaria, said, “Help those that can’t see the beauty in life. We should support each other, no matter what. Strong people don’t let others down.”
I can’t help you if I don’t know you’re hurting. Speak up. There’s nothing I can’t handle now.
-Call me day or night at: (404) 313-8194
-Blow up my inboxes at: carrigan8790@gmail.com or tc080790@uga.edu
-I run the Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit pages, so message those as well
*Anosognosia is not medically defined as priority number one, but I believe bringing the diagnosed individual “up to speed” should take precedence over all subsequent steps (unless a life threatening situation exists). I believe this because of personal experience with Anosognosia. It wasn’t until after my brother killed himself that I was made aware of a pattern on one side of my family. That pattern, most likely the manifestation of a genetic pattern, was of multiple suicides and lifelong cases of depression. In addition to a three-year hunch that I may have been suffering from depression, I (luckily) kept a daily journal for 3.5 years and, upon close examination, saw patterns in mood and outlook directly, consistently and without failure, correlated to certain situations, personal actions, and events. My psychiatrist confirmed every symptom and correlation I presented to him. A string of events later and I am very grateful for the psychiatrist I now see and medication I take. My “normal” world became infinitely better. I never realized I had a variation of Major Depressive Disorder, just like a child may not realize their vision is bad until several years pass. Lesson to be learned here? SPEAK UP! I will listen.