Resource Center

PTSD: A Veteran’s Mental Health Journey Purple Heart-decorated veteran David Kendrick Jr. shares his story of military service and his struggles with PTSD after leaving the military. David discusses his road to recovery and finding a community within NAMI. To learn more about NAMI Homefront resources for military members and their families, visit nami.org/homefront

Living with Bipolar I: My First Manic Episode Manic episodes caused by bipolar disorder can be confusing and challenging to manage. Hear from NAMI Member Claudette Pombo about her experience with her first known manic episode while trying to attend her circus-themed wedding. She details her journey from the wedding; getting help; getting a diagnosis […]

Discovering Bipolar at 25 Khadijah Abdul Azeez shares her story of living with bipolar disorder. Hear about her journey to mental health and how those experiences inspired her to join NAMI, pursue a career in mental health, and continue to share her story with courage, vulnerability, and authenticity.

A First Responder's Road to Recovery from PTSD and Substance Use Disorder Todd Lynch, first responder, shares his story of living with Bipolar, Generalized Anxiety and Substance Use Disorders, as well as living and working with PTSD. Learn about his road to recovery and his inspiring journey with his NAMI family. Remember, you are not […]

Suicide & Family Trauma: The Road to Recovery When we break the stigma around talking about suicide, we open up new roads to recovery: “There is no silence, no shame.” Venessa Abram, mental health advocate shares her experience with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and attempted suicide. Hear how Venessa learned that “it’s okay not to be […]

Being Cuban & a Caregiver: A Therapist's Lived Experience Rebeca Gibbons, therapist and mental health advocate, shares how being an immigrant from Cuba and a caretaker of a mother who eventually received a diagnosis of schizophrenia shaped her. Her experiences led her to becoming a therapist and wanting to help her community overcome challenges like […]

A Proud Path to Mental Health Members of the LGBTQ+ community share stories dealing with social stigma, hopelessness, and living with mental illness, which affects so many LGBTQ+ individuals across the country. Outsized obstacles to mental health exist for LGBTQ+ youth and adults, like figuring out how to access mental health care when friends, family, […]

Bullying, Bullets and Trauma: Surviving with Pride Quintin Lamarr shares his story of growing up at the confluence of systemic racism and anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in America. He describes how the traumas of racial injustice and discrimination walk hand in hand with mental illness, and how mental health services and communities like NAMI open up new […]

To the Power of NAMI: A Journey of Hope NAMI members, partners and leaders share their journeys living with hope and how their paths have been shaped by the NAMI community. Hear the stories of how these individuals discovered the NAMI community and were welcomed with open arms. Learn how the NAMI family — working […]

Caring for a Mom with BPD and Finding Purpose Sabrina Quinn’s family didn’t talk about mental health despite their own experiences with serious mental illness. It took the loss of an uncle and her mom’s spiraling mental health crisis for Sabrina to realize that she needed to know more to be able to help. As […]