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”This project is about dealing with misunderstood behavior and reducing the empathy gap between persons with psychotic behavior and security guards in the shops. The aim of this project is to teach security guards, but it also has value for others to increase their empathy.”

Our project is based on how we can make security guards in stores more aware of psychosis and how they should behave with a person who is having an episode. In general, people connect some mental problems with alcohol or drugs. In our project, we want to show them that being in psychosis is being on a journey in which one does not decide to be.

We have a big challenge as a society: Learn to understand a little bit the alteration of the reality of some people. Stories connect us as a society, create bonds and most importantly, create bonds of empathy. There are few indicator that allow us to recognize and understand people who live in these situations in which their reality is altered and their interpersonal and social relationships are drastically affected.

Our inspiration is the book named “Alleen” written by Wouter Kusters & Sam Gerrits.

Sam is a Dutch journalist who experienced many episodes of psychosis due to an accident that affected his neck and made him enter alternate realities to the “normal” one. Sam Gerrits describes his episodes in such detail, so real, that reading it is like experiencing all those moments of anguish for him and his family.

Made by Dani Bedoya and Ilse Smolders.
In collaboration with the minor ‘misunderstood behavior’ from Jennifer Kanary and Xiomara Vado Soto.
We worked with Hva students (Major Social work) Here is the link to their research video.