NAMI support groups have helped me to realize I am not alone in my recovery. I truly believe recovery is possible. My story is not over yet. I’m ready to reclaim my life.
I’ve had three psychiatrists over the last 12 years. A social worker referred me to the first while I was hospitalized. My spouse selected the second using a “top doctor” guide. These two psychiatrists had excellent credentials. I stayed with each for five years, but my con...
When I was a teenager, I would frequently remind myself not to be like my mother. My developing brain could not make sense of her behavior, which I would come to learn was actually bouts of hypomania, anxiety and depression. Even when she reached a crisis point and express...
This week the U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the 21st Century Cures Act. This legislation advances the development of new treatments for a broad range of illnesses—including mental illness.
The cost of treatment and access to quality, affordable care, along with stigma, are major barriers to Americans seeking help for mood disorders, according to a national survey out today. The 2021 Mood Disorder Survey was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the National...
Schizoaffective disorder involves symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations or delusions, and symptoms of a mood disorder, such as depressive or manic episodes.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has opened a breach in the artificial wall that has long separated coverage of physical and mental illnesses in insurance policies.
Ashamed and made guilty by my diagnosis and bad habits, I felt like I hit the bottom of a valley. I got stuck and felt like I was sinking into quicksand with no way out.
Ten years ago, after the birth of my second child, I had my first psychotic break. To say psychosis is scary and lonely and dark is an understatement.
Educate yourself as much as you possibly can, then bring this education to the table. Discuss with your family, friends and healthcare professionals. It could save your life.
I have struggled with my thoughts for as long as I can remember. In elementary school, I would think about suicide before I even knew what suicide was. I never planned my future or said what I wanted to be when I grew up because I didn’t think I would ever get there.
I didn’t understand it at first. I didn’t understand what depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia really meant.
Thirty-two years old is too young to die. I am 32 years old, and I think so. My sister-in-law, Britni, died almost a year ago. She took her own life battling with mental illness. We are the same age. She left behind a husband and two beautiful children. Britni suffered...
Does mental illness give strength and insight? Is the effect different from other illnesses? It’s a timely topic as Presidents’ Day approaches, honoring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s experience with depression is well-documented (the best book on ...
It took me over two decades to be correctly diagnosed and effectively treated for bipolar disorder. Forty years ago, there was much less awareness, and the associated stigma often prolonged someone getting help. Nowadays, many people go to Google as a source of infor...
It can be hard to know the correct way to talk to someone about their mental illness. Especially because saying the wrong thing can cause a lot of hurt and damage to a person. Everyone makes mistakes, and even the best of us slip up sometimes. When you do make a mistake by ...
Academy Award nominated actor of Silver Linings Playbook Bradley Cooper was in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 1 with Patrick Kennedy, NAMI and others to discuss the state of mental health in America.
I am a teacher. I am a wife. I am a mother. I am a coach. And I am bipolar. But most of all, I am a student of this game we call life.