Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 9-13-19

Feature
Psychiatrists Who Wrote Book About Understanding Mental Illness To Host Talk And Book Signing
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Feature Writer
The world is moving fast, and life has become more de- manding every day. People are facing struggles that they are ill- equipped to conquer. Many people fight with the secret that no one wants to name — mental illness.
For large segments of soci- ety, mental health and mental illness are taboo. In one of the world’s most advanced coun- tries, mental illness and treat- ment is still shrouded in mystery. To make matters worse, many people with men- tal illness either go undiagnosed
DRS. CARLIN BARNES AND MARKETA WILLS
or untreated.
At the base of this issue is
the lack of understanding. Many people would rather ig- nore mental illness rather than try to do something about it. This attitude has led to in- creased homelessness and in- carceration for mentally ill patients.
Two psychiatrists, Dr. Marketa Wills and Dr. Car- lin Barnes, used their expert- ise to write a book, Understanding Mental Ill- ness: A Comprehensive Guide to Mental Health Disorders for Family and Friends, to de-stigmatize men- tal illness and educate people.
The doctor duo is host- ing a talk and book signing on Sunday, September 15, at the Oxford Exchange, to promote the unique, easy- to-read guide.
According to the authors, the book is for everyone —- fam- ilies, churches, work organiza- tions, and social support
groups. The other side of men- tal illness is mental health. The goal should be to be in top men- tal shape.
Dr. Wills is a native of Ohio, and now resides in Tampa, is a Board-certified psy- chiatrist with a MBA from the Wharton School of Business. Currently, she serves as a physi- cian executive at a Fortune 500 health insurance company.
She earned her medical de- gree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medi- cine.
She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorpo- rated, the Tampa Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, Athena So- ciety, and NAMI (National Al-
liance on Mental Illness) Hills- borough.
Co-author Carlin Barnes, M.D. is also a Board-certified psychiatrist. For the past fifteen years, she has practiced child, adolescent, and adult psychia- try. She is an Associate Medical Director at a Fortune 100 man- aged care company.
She earned her medical de- gree from Texas A&M College of Medicine. Originally from Hill- side, New Jersey, she is cur- rently residing in Houston, Texas. She is a member of The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, In- corporated.
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019