Words of strength in the NAMI Joplin office. One year ago this week, tragedy struck Joplin, Mo. A tornado with winds over 200 mph destroyed 25 percent of the town. Seven thousand homes were destroyed. One hundred sixty-one people died. A thousand more were injured. Abou...
Surviving Loss: A Father’s Journey Kevin Fischer, NAMI Michigan’s executive director, was left devastated by the loss of his son, Dominique, a young man who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Like many parents who face similar heartbreak, Kevin foun...
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) today called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to broaden its Crisis Counseling Program to include treatment and services for people with serious mental illnesses.
Suicide affects all people. Within the past year , about 41,000 individuals died by suicide, 1.3 million adults have attempted suicide, 2.7 million adults have had a plan to attempt suicide and 9.3 million adults have had suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately, our society...
A Webinar Series Focused on Suicide Prevention Efforts, Sharing Lived Experience and Inspiring Future Activism NAMI Ask the Expert — Suicide Prevention Session 3: Creative Approaches to Suicide Prevention Thursday, September 22, 2022, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. ET Join NAMI...
People who have experienced abuse can struggle with the ability to trust others. A common refrain from trauma survivors is: If I was hurt by someone who was supposed to take care of me, how can I trust anyone else? Unsurprisingly, some will cope by relying only on them...
Of all the topics in mental health, one of the most difficult to consider is suicide. People contemplating it often do not speak directly of it. Families are surprised, stunned, mortified, angry, and devastated in the face of it. Non-mental health professionals may feel unc...
Sept. 23, 2021, 4–5:30 p.m. ET NAMI Ask the Expert welcomes Dr. Christine Yu Moutier who will discuss several science-informed, evidence-based strategies to reduce suicide risk, both through a public health approach for an entire population as well as clinical intervention...
More than 10 years have passed since our eldest son died by suicide. As I reflect on the first year after his death, I remember how it felt impossible to accept the painful new reality. For years afterward, my husband and I tried to come to terms with our excruciating los...
I was eight years old the first time my mother threatened to kill herself. Born to loving parents and growing up in an idyllic Maryland suburb outside Washington D.C., I had a solid start in life. But within a few years, my home life began to unravel. In addition to de...
Suicidal thoughts often accompany mental illness. Not taking these kinds of thoughts seriously can have devastating outcomes. Suicide can be prevented.
Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death overall in the U.S.— and 90% of people who die by suicide may have experienced symptoms of a mental health condition, according to interviews with family, friends and medical professionals. These statistics are staggering an...
Jump To: Episode Video Featured Guest Share Transcript About the Host In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison Jr. speaks with NAMI National Board Member and Cambodian American Connie Mom-Chhing about Asian American and Pa...
I grew up with mental illness in my family. I was the youngest of four siblings — Joan, Victor, Barbara and I — in a Syrian Jewish household. When I was young, Victor and Joan both died by suicide. These losses had, and continue to have, a profound impact on my life. ...
As a child, I watched my brother struggle for years. Mental health simply wasn’t a topic discussed much in the 1970s and 1980s, and my parents had few resources to turn to for help. I was 21 years old when my brother took his life; I understand firsthand what families go th...
You’ve likely heard someone say that “children are resilient.” Historically, parenting and child psychology books have touted that young people have the ability to overcome and “bounce back” from hardship and trauma. However, as someone who experienced childhood trauma, I...
You may have noticed a few videos on your newsfeed recently featuring celebrities—including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Chris Pratt and Kevin Hart—dropping for 22 push-ups. This ALS Ice Bucket Challenge-style movement is based on a 2012 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) r...
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is excited to welcome Sherman Gillums, Jr. to the organization in the newly created position of Chief Strategy and Operations Officer.