In our last survey, we asked you to tell us how NAMI has affected your life. We received responses from members all over the state relating how NAMI has helped them find the path to recovery, learn how to help a family member or loved one, better understand mental illness, fight stigma, and advocate for mental health reform.
A sampling of your comments:
- NAMI was the single most important organization or “individual” in our family’s existence since our son had a serious breakdown and was diagnosed with a serious form of mental illness. We were educated about the illness and what to do, who to contact, and how to navigate the complicated “system.” Our son is able to live on his own in a form of public housing, still with a lot of help from us. We will forever be indebted to NAMI.
- NAMI has been the catalyst to take a tragic disease and turn it into a call to legislative action. NAMI provides a voice for the clients in the legislative arena as well as on the local level. It has been a source of the most current information re meds, housing, programs and support from other caregivers when the going gets tough. My legislative commitment over the years has enlisted the help of family and friends to the plight of the mentally ill. They have signed petitions, sent letters to legislators & made phone calls. None of this would have been a part of their lives if I was not involved with NAMI.
- I initially diagnosed our son’s mental illness through attending a Family-to-Family class. I now attend a weekly NAMI support group, and without this group of adults, who all have a loved one with a mental illness, I would not be able to cope. My NAMI friends “get” it – what it is truly like to watch a loved one deal with the ups and downs of a mental illness. It’s a roller coaster ride that we all deal with together, celebrating the highs and brainstorming how to handle the lows.
- It has changed how I look at the world. Before NAMI I saw mental illness as behaviors without seeing the people. NAMI taught me empathy. My life is richer and much more meaningful, and I feel privileged to work with those with mental health challenges.
- Great! I took the Family-to-Family course over five years ago. The insights learned from that have opened my eyes and mind to all the challenges faced of mentally ill people.
- NAMI has changed my life. Before I was an OK advocate for myself and others with mental illness. Now I have a lot of tools that make me a lot better!
- We learned about NAMI from a Lodi News Sentinel announcement about the Family-to-Family education program, which my husband and I attended many years ago. We found out we were not alone in this struggle and were given the tools to better assist our mentally ill son and keep our family intact. We also became active NAMI volunteers.
- NAMI has been a big part of my family’s life since its inception. Now that my parents have passed away, I’ve inherited my mentally ill brother whose medical conditions are his primary issues. I have found the public, private and nonprofit system for elderly people with serious mental illness is sorely lacking.
- I have learned so much from NAMI. It has helped me in dealing with my son, who was recently diagnosed with mental illness, after becoming incarcerated at 27 years old. With NAMI education, I’m discovering so much I didn’t see when raising my loved one.
- NAMI support group meetings were somewhere I could go and know I would feel better when I left. Awesome people to help me through the worst times of my life 🙂
- I found friendship, and hope that there is recovery for families and my son. Also, (NAMI) empowers me to speak up to fight stigma.
Would you like to share how NAMI has affected your life? Click here to take the survey.