NAMI Blog

"We must break down the silos that separate physical and mental health, because everything is connected: Physical symptoms affect a person’s mental health, and a mental health diagnosis may increase the risk for physical health-related issues."

"Three months after my hospitalizations, I got my overdue six-month review. The director cataloged every mistake I ever made so that my four-page evaluation read like an attack. I was demoted, pushed to the back of the office and stripped of my previous responsibilities."

"The principal said that something had to be done about my son because 'he’s simply too dangerous and needs to be put in another environment.' My son was six years old at the time."

"They arranged a mandatory emergency staff meeting where they informed my colleagues that they felt I might be a violent threat to the office. They even had a picture of me placed at the front desk in the entrance of the building."

"Many times, I asked the police why they approached him. I was often told someone reported him as a 'suspicious person' lingering too long in one spot or that his appearance made some people uncomfortable, despite being in public spaces."

"Before I left on medical leave, I had taken on additional work to help a colleague whose husband was very ill and had been out for a few weeks, so I carried her caseload. Apparently, they have a different standard if you take leave because of mental illness."

"My inpatient experiences traumatize me to this day. We need to focus on how it can be better, to turn psychiatric hospitalization into a constructive turning point towards recovery."

Often when we talk about stigma, we are actually talking about discrimination. We need to claim what people are experiencing as a civil and human rights issue and demand an end to discrimination.

"I was twenty-two years old and in my last semester of undergraduate college when I suffered two psychotic breaks. During this time, I was unable to control my thoughts and behavior."

"Coming to grips with my mental and physical challenges has helped me understand how important it is to move beyond blaming others for my condition, especially those I love."