Rainer Gooi - Beyond the Label - Mental Health Ambassador

"Voices were pressuring me to end my life and threatening to harm my family if I didn’t. Whoever was behind the threats and persecutions seemed to have access to media like my TV and radio. They seemed like they could break into your home, pump psychotropic gas into your room, poison your food and water. You couldn’t fight back, because you didn’t know who you were fighting against. This is what my psychosis felt like. But getting diagnosed with schizophrenia meant that the voices weren’t real and that I wasn’t in danger anymore. My clarity returned with the medication. Even if you have a mental health condition, it’s not the end of the road. Your caregivers, supporters and loved ones are ‘the unsung heroes’. Anyone who has recovered doesn’t make the journey alone nor is capable of doing so. It takes a community or village to pull the patient out of the pit he’s in."

- Rayner Gooi, lawyer and self-taught artist clinically diagnosed with Schizophrenia

"If Rayner hadn’t told me about his mental health condition, I wouldn’t have known better. I found him a totally well-adjusted individual even back then. As we got to know each other better, he opened up. If I feel he’s undergoing something, I’ll give him space to sort things out. Then I’ll bug him in a day or two. I treat Rayner like any friend I have. Just be honest with your bros. There’s nothing to hide. People are more accepting of things than you would imagine."

- Conrad, Rayner’s buddy

Learn more about how we tackle mental health stigma through the Beyond the Label movement.

Read more about the personal journey of our Beyond the Label campaign ambassadors.