Dexmedetomidine is an alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist. It is approved for the acute treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar I or II disorder.
I am a single dad who just happens to have a chronic mental illness. After years of struggling, I found a wonderful doctor that actually took his time going through my symptoms in detail. I was diagnosed with schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder/anxiety and major depr...
As part of my recovery, I learned as much as I could about schizophrenia, which further deepened my compassion for those with mental health conditions and their loved ones. I now speak about the resources available from NAMI at a local hospital and teach the NAMI Family-to-Fa...
Love's All That Makes Sense By Sakeenah and Anika Francis Purchase As the end of Minority Mental Health Awareness Month draws near, NAMI wants to share some passages from a special book, Loves’ All That Makes Sense: A Mother Daughter Memoir , by Sakeenah and ...
My most treasured item is a blue, acrylic sweater my mom knit me. It has a horse on the back and my nickname in block letters on the front: GEN. I only wear it once a year to keep it from fading and falling apart. I didn’t always treasure my mom. When I was younger, I ...
A man diagnosed with schizophrenia was in a psychiatric hospital being considered for release. He sat in front of a team of psychiatrists who asked him the usual questions: Have your symptoms improved? Are you ready to leave? What do you plan to do? It was his answer to t...
In 2005, my son was hospitalized and diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 24. When our doctor gave us the diagnosis, he told us that he wished our son had a terminal illness instead. He said that would be far easier to live with than what we would be “dealing wi...
What does it mean to “hear things” and “see things?” This question has been one that has puzzled me for as long as I have understood schizophrenia. When I was a child and I met my aunt, completely taken over by schizophrenia, my father explained to me that she “heard”...
Hollywood has a long history of misrepresenting those with mental health conditions. These representations are usually portrayals of people with mental illness as violent and dangerous, which contribute to harmful stereotypes about mental illness. Inaccurate representatio...
While meeting my first client as a peer coach, I was nervous. Steve, my client, was in his 60s and could barely mumble “good” after I asked how he was. He has schizophrenia as well as cognitive disabilities. Even though I struggled with my own paranoia and delusions, I f...
What do we make about the connection between cat bites and the risk of depression?
NAMI today announced the election of Jacqueline Shannon as the president of its national Board of Directors.
The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) today praised Georgia Governor, Zell Miller and state lawmakers for standing up to stigma and ending insurance discrimination against people with severe mental illnesses.
During NAMI's annual convention in Cincinnati, the movie "A Beautiful Mind" will receive perhaps the highest honor of all: a special award from people who themselves have struggled with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, for the year's "Greatest Contribution to Public...
The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) will honor three major authors, representing three literary genres, at its annual convention in Minneapolis on June 28-July 1, 2003.
Clozapine is a medication that works in the brain to treat schizophrenia. It is also known as a second generation antipsychotic (SGA) or atypical antipsychotic. Clozapine rebalances dopamine and serotonin to improve thinking, mood, and behavior.
Quetiapine is a medication that works in the brain to treat schizophrenia. It is also known as a second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) or atypical antipsychotic. Quetiapine rebalances dopamine and serotonin to improve thinking, mood, and behavior.
Risperidone is a medication that works in the brain to treat schizophrenia. It is also known as a second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) or atypical antipsychotic. Risperidone rebalances dopamine and serotonin to improve thinking, mood, and behavior.
NAMI supports public policies and laws that facilitate research into the risks and benefits that marijuana and other cannabis products have on people with mental health conditions.
They say that “what we don’t know can’t hurt us.” I disagree. While mental health conditions were part of my family’s story, it took me finding NAMI to realize this. I still remember the first time someone at NAMI asked me if I had a family member with mental illness. ...