NAMI Blog

We all have or will struggle at some point in life, and we all can find strength in the support of others with lived experience.

Living with mental illness can be incredibly lonely and isolating. For Fletcher, peer support and connection was what made him feel better during his darkest days. 

"In a letter to a stranger, we forget the burden of judgment and fears. In the letters we read, we are no longer alone. Someone, somewhere, thinks of us too. In our growing empathy for others, we learn kindness, too, for ourselves."

Giving or receiving support requires effective communication. How you listen and respond can change the tone and outcome of a conversation.

"I know I can be a lot to handle, especially when my moods are out of control. I’ve had people tell me that they just couldn’t handle it anymore. Yet, there’s one person who has stuck by me through the good, bad and ugly: my pastor, Robby."

"As a NAMI HelpLine volunteer, at the very least I need to listen and be kind; to let callers know I’m not going anywhere, and I’m going to do my very best to figure things out with them."

Peer support is an affordable, accesible option to help people in their recovery. Here are the keys of how to improve your mental health and emotional growth through peer support.

"Working in peer support helped me feel empowered. Not only could sharing my lived experience be a career, but I could also genuinely help people."

"Talking to mental health professionals and receiving various treatments can be an important piece to one’s recovery journey, but there is a special power in talking to others who have been in and through similar situations."

Since the rise of the smartphone, indicators of mental health such as happiness, self-esteem and life satisfaction have decreased while serious mental health issues like anxiety, depression, loneliness and suicide have increased significantly. Here are some tips to reduce screen time.