TESTIMONIALS

"Bipolar Boy was by far the best speaker I've seen on any college campus since I started working in higher education 14 years ago.  Way to go Bipolar Boy!"
Dr. Timothy King
Associate Vice President
Enrollment Management & Student Affairs
Jacksonville State University - AL

"I just got back from your talk at Juniata College. I didn't get a chance to talk to you afterwards but I want you to know that the things you said have struck a cord so deep, so inspirational, and so true within me. I do not have a mental illness but your words, infused with comic hilarity, have changed my way of thinking, and will change my life. I am currently struggling with a relationship and your advice on putting things into perspective, about imagining the worst thing that could ever happen and then assessing the problem in contrast to that has eased the stress on my shoulders already.

If your goal was to change at least one kid in the audience, you have succeeded."
Juniata, PA

"Hello! Just wanted to thank you very much for the awesome presentation at Fort Hays State University here in western Kansas last night!  It was very motivating.....you had a way of captivating the college age audience which can be very difficult!"
Lori D
Fort Hays, KS

My daughter and I listened to Paul speak at FHSU in Hays Kansas this week and just wanted to know how awesome he is!!!!!!!!!
Tobi N
Fort Hays, KS

"Saw you at Washburn.  I'm the diabetic with a bipolar daughter.  Thank you for getting the message out.  The whole mental illness thing is so tough on persons with the disease AND FAMILIES."
Marsha C
Topeka, KS

"I know you must hear it a lot, but I think you do as much for people who DO have a mental diagnosis as you do for people who don't.  You are proof that these things do not have to get out of control.  That it may take effort, but they are a special part of who you are.  I think that is great." 
Kristina
Emporia, KS

I recently had the pleasure of attending a presentation Paul held for the Cincinnati Police Department Peer Support Team.  Not only did Paul raise awareness of bipolar disorder by sharing personal experiences and helpful information, but he did so while keeping a room of over 30 adults engaged and interested through his skill with wit and humor.  I applaud his efforts (and success) in raising awareness of such an important issue that affects so many people in our community.

Tiphanie Galvez
Cincinnati Police Dept.

It was great for our students to hear from an ""outside expert"" that living with a mental illness is OK as long as you get help for it. Paul did a much better job than posters or flyers ever would have done on campus. There was a huge response in the surveys we sent out after Paul was here, so we were able to reach a large portion of our students!","It was a pleasure working with Paul and your company
Neil Stanglein
William Woods University

Paul Jones brings strength and courage to living with a mental illness. Many struggling out there desperately want to hear that message from someone strong. Paul spoke at our awards banquet with honesty and outrageous humor—all the while rallying our clients to hold their heads up, be proud, and fight to get better. Thanks Paul.
David E. Cooley
Vice President
caramore.org

I heard Paul speak last night at the Temple Theatre in Saginaw Michigan and it was amazing !!   I have a bipolar daughter that lives in Fremont Michigan and I would very much like her to hear what he has to say.  Is he speaking anywhere else in the middle part of Michigan that I can notify her of?  I was totally impressed that he has never missed a day of work or a doze of his medications.  Great for him.  Very determined young man. 

Thank You,
Beverly J

Thank you for being there today.  I have a cousin who has/is bipolar, I wish you could have been spoke to him at his school when he was in the 7th or 8th grade, before he quit.  He is a wonderful person and I love him dearly, that is why it is hard to see him go through this.  I hope he gets help like you did. I will share the tape and information with him that you taught me today.  I can not thank you enough for sharing your story and teaching me about this.  I looked around at the students there sitting next to me and it was nice to see a lot of them were not afraid to raise their hand or clap when you asked questions. I can tell that you made a difference in a lot of lives today.  I hope you know that, I am forever grateful for your words of wisdom today. 
Thank you again, Jocelyn M

Hello! My name is Katie P. I am 15, and I was at your show at the Temple Theatre in Saginaw Michigan today, 10-30-07. Our school brought us to see you. I was very impressed by the emotion you put into the show. I was listening with ears wide open. I loved your "P.C. free zone" idea. I think you are very right when you say that high school students are interested in what you have to say. I think high school students need to know about mental health. I just want you to know that I was touched that you  took the time to come and see a bunch of students, and talk so openly about your illness.

Thank you,
Katie

I can't express how much hope and inspiration you gave me. Thank you, so much.  You've inspired me to not be afraid of telling people that I am mentally ill.  Why should I be quiet about it?  Like you said, "If I came up here and said, 'I have cancer,' everyone would have said, 'Awwww.'  But, if I tell them 'I have a mental illness,' they say,'Eek!  Oh my gosh!  Aah!'"  I'll remember that for the rest of my life.

Sincerely and Bipolar,
Karli H

My son saw your show in Saginaw Michigan on the 30th of October and he has talked quite a bit about it since then and for him that is kind of unusual. He has border line Asperger's, Pervasive development disorder, High anxiety, and depression. In other words some days he can be a bit of a handful. Well he really wants to know if you have copies on Cd of your actual shows, like what he saw yesterday. He said you "made him laugh, that you were funny". If he shows an interest in trying to grow on a personal level I would like to incourage it and if listening to your show again on CD will help him do that I am all for it.

Sincerely,
Kris H

I just had to post about the fabulous experience we had at UIU last night. Last night we packed our auditorium with students who came to hear Paul Jones/Bipolar Boy speak.  Our administration and some of our staff were pretty leary about bringing someone here to talk about mental illness out loud.  Paul was able to ease the tension caused by talking about mental illness with his humor, and then he silenced the crowd numerous times by sharing his own experiences.  He gave facts, and he gave hope. 

This was a required event for our Freshmen seminar students, but there were many other students who came without being required.  At the end of the 65 minute presentation, students asked a full 20 minutes of questions.  And then Paul asked the students to sign a UIU hat that he had purchased IF they had changed their minds about how they viewed mental illness.  Students lined up immediately and spent another 30 minutes signing that hat.  It brought me to tears seeing every type of student you can imagine waiting in that line.

I know this has opened eyes to the prevalence, stigmas, and need to get help for many of our students.  A door has been opened to talk about mental health issues out loud without fear.  That was something I had not been able to accomplish in my efforts to put on educational programming in the past.  We are a small campus, and students didn't want other students to see them attending "those type of sessions", but last night proved that they ARE hungry for the information.  I have already witnessed the positive impact Paul's presentation has had on our campus. 

Laurie Kirkpatrick
Assistant Dean/Director of Counseling
Upper Iowa University

Bob Muenchen writes...

..Pauls web page.......  I "It was an awesome presentation. He kept me interested and kept my attention through the whole presentation. This was the best presentation that I have ever seen."

"I believe that Paul was able to reach out and touch the students through his knowledge about (his) bipolar disorder and his background as a stand-up comic. He really did keep their attention! Several students have told me that he was able to bring home to them having a mental disorder because he struggles to live a normal life even though he knows what his problems and stressors are. I believe that it is really meaningful to hear someone talk when they are so knowledgeable in an area, such as Paul is about this disorder. Both class sections certainly learned a great deal from him!"
Virginia Hedger, Assistant Professor
Department of Nursing
Northern Kentucky University

"Truly awesome! Each time I am more amazed at what Paul offers to the students and how much they get from his presentation. It goes beyond reducing stigma. It surpasses any opportunity they have on the mental health units. Their perceptions were truly changed about mental illness by Paul's candidness, humor, honesty, and emotion. He personally took them on the roller coaster ride of bipolar illness. They learned that a person can truly live with a mental illness. They learned they, as nurses, have the opportunity to truly make a difference in successful treatment. Further, they got an extremely important lesson on understanding the patient's perspective, then working collaboratively to decrease the pain and suffering of any illness. What an inspiration!"
Ann Bobonick APRN, BC
Clinical Instructor
Christ Hospital School of Nursing

"Dear Paul,
On behalf of DBSA-Cincinnati, I wish to convey our heartfelt thanks for the wonderful and inspiring program you provided last night. Paul, your talk was perfect. Your message is so powerful because you have the fortitude to stand up in front of God and everybody and say, 'Here I am. I have a mental illness! I'm struggling with it. I live with it! But, by God it's not gonna get me.' You demonstrate the kind of attitude that people need in order to get themselves on the road to recovery. It's therapy they'll never get from a drug, a doctor, or a psychiatrist. You are a living testament to the power of the human spirit. You offer yourself as a role model and you do it with love, humor and compassion."

We were all blessed by your message and we all thank you for bringing it to us. Paul, although you say you're not a 'support group person,' we want you to know that if you ever feel you need us, we'll be there for you, the way you were there for us last night."
DBSA - Cincinnati

"Paul's presentation was extraordinary and touching, and I thank you again on behalf of myself and my students."
Jennifer Sacher, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry
Northern Kentucky University

"Paul's presentation to my nursing students was, to say the least, "incredible." They benefited as future nurses, as college students, and as citizens.

As nursing students, Paul's presentation taught them how it feels to have a mental illness, how it impacts a life, and how it impacts a family. The science of nursing is to know about illnesses, know how to identify the symptoms, and know how to treat them. The art of nursing is to truly understand your patient's perspective and then engage in collaboration with the patient in order to achieve the healthiest state possible. I feel my students have experienced, through Paul, what it is like to experience a mental illness, in this case, bipolar disorder. This includes the severe depression, severe mania, and thoughts and plans of suicide. This experience of understanding, "the patient's perspective" can only benefit each of the many patients they will treat during their careers as nurses.

As college students, they benefited. Many mental illnesses, or even periods of decreased functioning, first appear in college students. We know that the majority of people with mental illness never seek treatment, resulting in lives that never truly experience the beauty of life. Paul's message made it okay to say, "I need help."

As citizens, we all need to know that mental illness is not a death sentence. Tremendous stigma can bring such shame, guilt, anger, and even unnecessary deaths. His presentation did much to dispel these myths.

Paul's presentation is entertaining. We know that when people can be entertained, the message can be "taken in" so much more successfully than just being given information. His background as a professional comedian is obvious. But his experience with the real pain of mental illness is equally as apparent. Paul makes it okay to need help and to get it! What greater gift could he give us?"
Ann Bobonick APRN, BC
Clinical Instructor
Christ Hospital School of Nursing

"Thanks for an outstanding program. Good information for all!"
Mary Glover
Cincinnati Mental Health Association

"I have aggregated the students' evaluation of the orientation...Paul got a 5/5. The students loved him!"
Joann Strong RN
Clinical Instructor
Good Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing

"To be with Paul Jones is to be in the presence of honesty. Paul spoke to my class of Medical Ethics - a required course at the Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health. He spoke from his heart with candor and a disarming sense of humor. He brought students into the life of a bipolar person. I found his honesty and hope very helpful and inspiring. I look forward to more time with Paul. He puts a human face on a diagnosis. He puts a human face and name on hope."
James E. Sargent, Instructor
Good Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing and Health

"Paul is exceptionally talented at using humor to make a serious point. His presentation teaches and touches his audience, evoking both laughter and tears."
Melanie Garner
Public Relations
Christ Hospital

"Young people need to hear this information in THIS format. If my son could have heard Paul's talk, it might have given him his only glimpse of hope. It would have made Joe feel better about himself and perhaps begin to separate his illness from who he knew himself to be."
Kathy Winter

"I don't know if this presentation can be described in words to anyone. It is wonderful that Paul can speak so openly about his disorder."
Sara Hylton

"This presentation was wonderful! Paul's passion about his story is inspiring. He truly gave me a good insight into his life. He didn't hold back, and that's the best education!"
Kristy McConnell

"It was an awesome presentation. He kept me interested and kept my attention through the whole presentation. This was the best presentation that I have ever seen."
Jennifer Fey

"One I will never forget."
Sabrina Alexander

"This was the most interesting presentation I've attended! He was great! I could have listened to him talk all day!"
Amanda Smithson

"The most moving experience of my life. A real tear jerker, but filled with laughter."
Lindsey Bisohoff

"Unconventional! What a wonderful and unique approach to teaching! How great it is to have a person willing to share their experiences and illness with others!"
Cathy Davis

"This was like sitting through a bad movie. I just wanted it to end"
David Wirth - You can't please everyone~Paul

"I was rivoted."
Jenn Bacon

"It was incredible! I feel like I have such a better understanding of not just bipolar disorder, but how to work with and help many patients with mental disorders. It is truly amazing and courageous for Paul to come and share such personal information. Thank you!"
Tracy Lucas

"The presentation was awesome. The message was clear. I would highly recommend this series for anyone with questions or seeking information. Entertaining and informative."
Paul Woods

"Wow! I laughed, I cried...and I might even get it now! Thank you so much for sharing your pain and your triumph with us."
Teresa Barter

"Everything was amazing! I feel so much more educated on this subject. Thank you for sharing."
Lindsay Sipple

"Excellent lecture. Very emotional and educational. Also real and entertaining."
Sakina Deveaux

"This presentation was phenomenal, educational and entertaining!"
Christopher Friedricks

"Very captivating. Shared a great insight in the disease of bipolar disorder."
Leah Jordan

"Great energy. Really kept me interested. It was wonderful to hear a real story not just a med-surg book. It really helped me understand the disease."
Cindy Henry

"It was incredible! I feel like I have such a better understanding of not just bipolar disorder, but how to work with and help many patients with mental disorders. It is truly amazing and courageous for Paul to come and share such personal information. Thank you!"
Tracy Lucas

"It was truly a moving presentation. I could tell that you spoke from your heart. Thank you!"
Patti Sorter

"Paul has really enlightened me and is awesome! Please keep talking to people. He makes people appreciate life and see it in a different aspect."
Tammy Patterson

"Excellent! It makes me see that my Dad isn't nuts. It made me feel so great listening to him talk. Life isn't so bad! I need this pick-me-up. Thanks!"
Brynn Ring

"This was my second time seeing this lecture and it was different. I really enjoy hearing Paul speak. Thank you for returning!"
Jamie Huber

"Awesome speaker! No improvement needed! Have enjoyed the two times you came to school!"
Betsy Stautberg

"Paul's lecture makes you think about a lot of things in life."
Christina Long