Hufsa Ahmad

Through this hour-long storytelling and presentation, attendees will learn about the signs of mental illness, mental health resources, and self-care strategies and leave with hope and empowerment. Hufsa shares her recovery from co-occurring mental illness and alcohol abuse to demonstrate that the lowest points in our lives are opportunities for growth and not times to be ashamed of. Her story applies to all college students given that she developed mental illness while she was at Harvey Mudd College pursuing her Bachelors of Chemistry. She details the trials of being a college student while experiencing mental health challenges and how she transformed from being a victim of her illness to a champion of recovery. This powerful presentation
is followed by a Q&A presentation.

Mental illness is not the end-all. It is not something to be ashamed of. Most of all, recovery is possible. Attendees will walk away feeling empowered with a better understanding of mental illness, more positive views of people with mental illness, and knowledge of how to “stigma smash” (Hufsa’s signature phrase).
Much like racism, sexism, transphobia, and Islamophobia, “stigma” is the mental health community’s word for the shame and discrimination associated with mental health challenges. In this hour-long interactive workshop, Hufsa teaches audiences how to combat stigma. She explains the Recovery Model, a new paradigm of viewing mental illness in a positive, hopeful, and empowering light. She describes Recovery Language, a way
to actively change our language and shift our perceptions of people with mental illness. She shares her powerful story of overcoming self-stigma to view mental illness not as a deficit, but as a strength.

Attendees will learn how to self-disclose and how to respond when someone is self-disclosing. They will also learn the process for deciding whether to self-disclose. In this 30-60 minute workshop, Hufsa shares her personal experiences with self-disclosure and offers practical tips and guidance for the process of deciding whether to self-disclose (and to what degree). Conversely, Hufsa also discusses how to appropriately receive
this information and be supportive. This program is perfect for Individuals with mental health conditions, friends and family members of individuals with mental health conditions, and anyone who is not sure how to have a conversation about mental health.

Peer specialists are unique workers in the mental health field, who use their lived experience with mental illness to connect and educate. As someone who has done peer work for 7 years, Hufsa carries a special insight into what the position entails and what strikes this population the most. Attendees will walk away feeling
empowered, understand self-stigma, learn how to combat burnout and obtain knowledge of how to “stigma smash” (Hufsa’s signature phrase). She describes Recovery Language as a way to actively change our language and shift our perceptions of people with mental illness. Lastly, she shares her powerful story of overcoming self-stigma to view mental illness not as a deficit, but as a strength.