FED:Stop swearing for schizophrenia

AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2011
FED:Stop swearing for schizophrenia

SYDNEY, April 14 AAP - Could you stop swearing for a week?

The Schizophrenia Research Institute is calling on potty-mouths all over Australia
to stop cursing and start raising money.

Rather than dropping money into swear jars, funds can be collected electronically and
donated to schizophrenia research.

"Most people know schizophrenia as people hearing voices," Schizophrenia Research Institute
spokeswoman Helen Connealy said on Thursday.

"What they don't realise is that for many people who get these voices they are not
pleasant they tend to be negative ... and often contain abusive language.

"So we decided that this will be a good way for us to stop the voices for a week and
get everybody involved."

Participants pledge to give up swearing for Schizophrenia Awareness Week, from May
16 to 22, and then get friends and family to sponsor them.

"A few people have put up a chart in their office and nominated their chief swearers
and they are seeing who holds to it ... people are using this as an excuse to have a bit
of fun," Ms Connealy said.

Several celebrities have promised to keep their language clean in support of the campaign,
including Aussie rocker Angry Anderson, Miss World Australia Ashleigh Francis, Sydney
FC keeper Liam Reddy, former rugby league player Mark Geyer and MasterChef finalists Alvin
and Courtney.

In previous years the campaign has raised $40,000 and involved about 150 people. This
year the organisers hope to get 500 people on board and raise $100,000.

To register for Swear Stop go to www.swearstop.com.au

AAP ct/tr/pc

KEYWORD: SCHIZOPHRENIA

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.