Metaphorical stories for education about mental health challenges and stigma.

In 1989, my psychiatrist convinced me to present to a small group of parents of people with mental health challenges. I had terrible stage fright, but I coped well. It was such a success that I was invited to present to other groups. Thus, I started presenting to groups and other audiences. In this article, I want to share my experience using metaphorical stories when presenting. The more I presented to different audiences, the more I found I was trying to explain complicated matters. It is not enough to want to communicate with someone, and it is not enough that he or she wants to communicate with oneself. Suitable conditions are required for communication. Because I was captivated in my childhood by the fables of Aesop, La-Fontaine, and Krilov, I used in my presentations various fables and other types of metaphorical stories to bridge the gap of knowledge and to enable communication. When I could not find metaphorical stories to suit my presentations, I made them up.