Chronic Mental Illness: A Living Nightmare
Before the Sharing Hope presentation at my church, I had been silent for more than 15 years. I could not bring myself to talk about the catastrophe of mental illness that struck my son. The stigma, shame and ignorance in my community, on the job and even within my family, were barriers in communication that I considered too huge to overcome. I learned that, until you can talk about your circumstances, you will never be set free.
I showed up at the Sharing Hope presentation on a Monday night and it changed my life. My son had been diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 17 years old. The presenters understood his psychotic breaks, hallucinations, and disorganized thoughts and speech. The team of presenters showed compassion. Before the presentation I would not dare say the words “mental illness” or “schizophrenia.” For me, this was the first step towards self healing. I am so grateful that NAMI found me. I realized that I was not alone and no one should be anonymous.
Education is the key to eradicating stigma. I learned even more by taking a NAMI Family-to-Family (F2F) training class. In F2F, I learned many valuable life lessons. For instance, I learned better strategies for communicating with my son and setting boundaries. I learned that mental illness is the fourth leading illness in America falling right behind cancer, diabetes and heart disease. I also learned that my life mattered. Before taking the F2F class, every time my son would go to the hospital, so would I; I was dying from a broken heart. I was depleted, exhausted, and demised by worry, fear and stress. As a result of these overwhelming emotions and reactions, in essence, I was committing my own suicide. The F2F class helped me problem-solve.
My son is my hero because a lesser man could not have endured what he has had to go through. My son is still inside of his body. Hope, faith and love - the greatest of these is love. While advocating for my son, I advocate for others like him. I advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.
Today, because NAMI saved my life, I feel that is is my responsibility and purpose to hand a life-line to others. I present Sharing Hope presentations in underserved communities and I teach F2F classes within the stated communities. I am also on the board of NAMI Austin. I encourage others to get involved: vote, become an advocate, join a support group, or, if emotionally ready, unpack your own story. Silence will only guarantee that our needs will never be heard or met.