I Am Not Sick; I Don’t Need Help/Webinar by Dr. Amador, Founder and President of LEAP Institute

#AlanHuFoundation #LEAP #anosognosia
https://alanhufoundation.org

3:50 Introduction of LEAP Institute
4:40. Henry’s story
14:51 Denial of illness
19:16 Anosognosia in Neurological Disorders
21:24 Anosognosia in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder
35:50 Anosognosia for SMI and Acceptance of Treatment
40:03 The LEAP Approach
46:44 Q&A

On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, from 5:00 – 6:00 pm PT, Dr. Xavier Amador, Founder and President of the LEAP Institute (https://leapinstitute.org/) presented a free webinar, “I Am Not Sick; I Don’t Need Help: How to Help Someone Accept Treatment” as part of the Alan Hu Foundation Mental Health Lecture Series. Xiaofang Chen, Co-Founder and President of Alan Hu Foundation stated, “We are pleased that Dr. Amador will present this important topic, as many people don’t seek mental health help for themselves or their loved ones. We are grateful this webinar is funded in part by a grant from a City of Pleasanton Community Youth Grant.”

Dr. Amador spoke about research on the prevalence, etiology, and clinical significance of poor insight of persons with serious mental illness. He discussed evidence that poor insight is a symptom of these disorders, not denial. He introduced the LEAP (Listen-Empathize-Agree-Partner) strategy that helps people create relationships that lead to treatment, even when the person is suffering from anosognosia, and does not believe they are ill. LEAP is an evidence-based communication program that turns adversaries into partners. It can be used to help adolescents and young adults to accept treatment and to change maladaptive coping mechanisms.

Xavier Amador, Ph.D., Founder and President of LEAP Institute, https://leapinstitute.org/, is a world-renowned clinical psychologist, forensic expert, and author of nine books, including the best seller, I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help. His extensive work, books, and clinical research in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses have been translated into 30 languages. Additionally, he has authored over 130 peer-reviewed scientific papers and has contributed his expertise to over 80 death penalty cases. Dr. Amador is also a family caregiver of two close relatives with schizophrenia, and another with bipolar disorder.

The free webinar was held on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, from 5:00 – 6:00 pm PT, via Zoom. It included 15 minutes for questions and answers following Dr. Amador’s presentation. The Mental Health Association for Chinese Communities at https://www.mhacc-usa.org provided simultaneous Chinese interpretation.

The Alan Hu Foundation was created by Xiaofang Chen and Chih-Ching Hu in memory of their son, Alan. He passed away due to mental disorders in 2018 at the age of 15. Their mission is to promote mental health, raise awareness and remove stigma surrounding psychiatric disorders, and to support fundamental research for cures.

For further information and to support the Alan Hu Foundation, please visit the website: https://alanhufoundation.org/helping