NAMI Blog

"Because of the love, support and compassion of my family, my treatment team and the people at my church, I am able to say I have come a long way."

"Mental illness doesn’t have to be the one definition of who we are. Though mental illness is a devastating diagnosis, I firmly believe we can overcome our limitations to live a life of satisfaction." 

"Ten years and nine hospitalizations later, I found that there is not just one kind of “alone.” There are scary alones, lonely alones, secret alones, alones in solace and alones that are empowering.  As people with mental illness, we often travel through these different alones."

"When my depression hits, my body feels restricted, as though a weight I cannot see has made a home on my chest. The only thing I latch onto is knowing I’ve come out of it before. I think we all need that one thread to help pull us through."

Celebrities have the ability to bring people into our community, people who can relate to their struggle and feel inspired by their bravery to speak out.

Movies and television have the unique ability to provide examples to the general public about how to recognize and respond to warning signs that someone is considering suicide. 

Now more than ever, children are learning about mental health in school. However, mental health issues among young people is still on the rise. We need to ensure that our children are not just learning how to seek help, but are actually acting on it. 

"Even when you sign the contract of a lifetime, your anxiety doesn’t just fade away. You are still playing a high intensity game that wears on you every day, beating you down physically and emotionally. But there’s always a way to get help."

Celebrities talking about mental illness can help reduce stigma as long as their message isn't sensationalized. If a celebrity is being honest about their mental health issues, their example is likely to be helpful. 

Technology is great for helping you manage mental health conditions and medications, but online social media and shopping sites can present dangers for conditions like bipolar disorder. Here are tips for interacting with the internet when you are symptomatic.