This is the first year that I openly observed MENTAL ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK.  For too long I have hidden behind medication and circumstances and often suffered “secretly” with my illness. 

I was diagnosed over 20 years ago with mild to severe depression and generalized anxiety disorder.  God has made it possible for me to accomplish great things and reach goals in spite of my condition.  With the help of my family I have managed to raise two great sons; Ashton (22) and Braylon (17) …and Rugby.  Mental Illness is real and too often we brush it off and nobody knows what it means to deal with such an illness.

I’m not afraid of a “label”…It’s who I am. The first step is acceptance. I have daily devotional time and manage my medication which makes it possible for me to live a professional and productive life.

Thank you NAMI. Mental Illness can be a nightmare. I was 17 when I had depression. I didn’t realize I had been struggling with mental Illness until I graduated. I was dealing with sexual abuse and family struggles. I missed out on alot because I was not taking mental awareness serious enough. I have found so much good in my life and now have decided on a career and I have support and love from my favourite people. I am happy with myself and I am a responsible lively person and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Trust yourself and the process. God is present. Thank you NAMI.i give my family credit for all the care. I can be happy with me again

I hate mental illness. It has robbed me of the man I love. As he goes through active mania, depression, anxiety, suicide, or drug addiction, I can only watch and sit in pain, silently. I hurt!!!! I hurt because he becomes consumed with trying to find silence in his head. He seeks comfort from outside of himself, which is nothing but destruction.

I just recently found the family meetings and the family to family 12 week class. I went to my first group meeting last night. It was so wonderful to listen to others talk my story. I was able to talk my story and they got it, no judgment. I wish this would have been something available a long time ago. Maybe things could have been different for us. I would of been better educated on the illness. I would of learned the difference and how to love HIM and help the disease without judgment, control or anger.

See we have been married 21 years, we have been inseparable for 23 years. He left 8 months ago on a whim. I was used to that because he would just come up missing for weeks and not know where he had been. I would get a call from an institution or police department to come and take care of the situation. He always came back home. I miss my best friend, my lover, partner, father of our children. We still see each other and talk. But he is cycling again and pushing me away, harder than he ever has before. He says he doesn’t want to hurt me anymore, but it still does.

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I have been going thru Major Depression and Psychosis since 1997. I have been practicing Kundalini Yoga and Meditation with chanting manthras  and it has guided me al these days. I had several years of collapse in my life and family and career. Government helped me with the programs to 40% of my all my problems. other 60 % with the help of God and yoga. In the recent months, I added crystals in a grid to my sturggle and you know what. that helped me even more dramatically with my psymptoms healing  and coping with it effectively. I share this info so people can benefit from yoga, Kundalini and crystals for healing. these are all divine helps adn I need to share that with you. I am happy that I am sharing that info with you and you may contact me with questions. i will be glad to help you. Thanks adn spread the news around with the ones with needs for help.

You don’t know my husband you just see what you want to see. You don’t see an intelligent man who served his country who’s lost his lively hood and almost his family due to mental illness. You don’t see his family who struggle to cope at times when life is out of control. See what you want to see, look away, feel threatened when there is nothing to threatened about. People are broken and sometimes in life it’s hard to get up and put yourself together. Everyone needs understanding, a kind word and nice gesture. There are miracles. Sometimes they are hard to find but they happen they did for me. Be a friend to someone, volunteer your time. 

May is Mental Illness Awareness Month.  Each year it brings up memories that I have tried to forget for over 40 years.  This year I am tearing down the walls I’ve built around my mental illness memories and cycles of suffering.  This year I am being vulnerable and engaging in a conversation about the shame and stigma around mental illness by sharing my personal story with you. 

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Hi my name is Robbi I’m a 43year-old mother of 3 at 32 I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Mental illness runs in my family.   My mother and grandfather were not diagnosed So unfortunately due to lack of awareness of the disease resources and lack of proper medications at 8 I lost my mother and witnessed  her suicide . At 10 I  witnessed  the  death of my grandfather to suicide also I’m a twin. Despite my extreme trauma and my losses I continue to fight for those like me who need support resources hope love kindness caring respect…most of all stop the stigma. I do not drink nor do drugs. I have no criminal  record. I have an Associate degree as an Licenced Optician. I want to do what ever I can to help who ever I can. God has seen me thru and I feel like this organization will help me achieve those goals as well as I feel thats my purpose. It brings me great joy to give others hope. I want to become a motivational speaker like Les Brown.  With Gods help I will❤

I have witnessed mental illness in my family first hand. Although my family tries to keep it quiet and is in denial! I grew up in a family of secrets, like most, mental illness is a hush hush secret. Don’t spill the beans or you’re an outcast. I grew up in a living hell. My mother has a narcissistic personality disorder and my father has ocd, and liked to micro manage. My father was also an alcoholic and was also a sex addict. Parents had a son who developed paranoid schizophrenia, One day my father touched my sister inappropriately. To the outside world, we appear normal, the inner most workings of the family dynamics behind closed doors is well hidden, very, very, well hidden. Don’t upset the apple cart. Because I am strong, I was nominated to be the guarding of my mentally ill brother, this happens to the black sheep of a maternal narcissistic mother. I struggle greatly with relationships, my mother hogged the limelight and couldn’t love. I often read the book, will I ever be good enough, this seems to help me to heal from all the trauma and dysfunctional I lived through and the county would do nothing to help. You out there, you are not alone! Be strong and speak up about the awareness of mental illness, please!!!

Hi I have a few family members that have been dealing with a mental illness for sometime. I did not understand at first but when my child told me she experienced some sort of mental illness I thought what did I do wrong. And because she was studying on the medical field she researched her issues and educated her and I on mental illness. Now I am okay with it and everywhere I go I usually encounter and talked with someone who has some sort of mental illness. God is good because of how he loves and cares for us. He chooses people that have a very patient and caring heart to help support those that have a type of illness. Just stay prayerful and know that it is about them and not you.

And I knew I wasn’t right 

So I planned on going that Friday night 

And I knew I wasn’t okay

Making it the perfect place for me to stay 

See, for most, a mental hospital isn’t a choice 

It’s one of those things where you are left without a voice 

Brought there suddenly against your will

Then before you know it, you are given a bunch of random pills 

But for me, it was where I was supposed to be

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