I have been trying to get my son, Patrick, social security. He is schizoaffective. Well, he is dual diagnosed. #2 is substance abuse.  I just received “the denial” in the mail from the administration. They refused him because the said he abuses drugs and that when he stops using he’ll recover.  Can you believe that!   He unfortunately starting using before I knew he had mental illness or anyone else in the family knew. I thought I just had this horrible drug addicted rebellious kid on my hands. He always had problems since he was very young but I just didn’t know. It wasn’t until he started having conversations with himself where family members could see that we started looking on the Internet about what that means. He started hearing voices too.   It’s been an uphill battle every since. He does not refuse phych meds anymore, but I cannot keep him off street drugs because he’s a substance abuse addict. His #1 diagnosis is schizoaffective. My brother’s son has recently been diagnosed too. THANK YOU NAMI FOR HELPING ME !  I wouldn’t have been able to go through all this(understanding mental illness) without you.   But now that I do understand I am really sad that other people don’t! 

My name is Robert Hagee and I have a mental illness, I have had the illness since childhood, it was believed to be schizophrenia when I was young but came to schizoaffective disorder. If I was to write anything about my illness it would be this: that without my mother who was very strong from her life struggles as a child and as an adult, I would not have survived; I look back and realize if I was to know of all my issues and struggles to come when was a young and not to know of the good I do not believe I would have continued. There are other issues with my health and the hardest thing I face is that my mother will be at my funeral and my only regret I would ever change is the fact that my mother has had to experience my life with me.

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I lost my mother when I was 8 months pregnant. She was struggling with mental illness her entire life. I fought for her but she lost the battle. Only after her death did I find that I also had the same illness she lived with, bipolar disorder. I took action. I sought help. I didn’t want her death to be meaningless, misunderstood, and I surely didn’t want my son I suffer like I did growing up. I started talk therapy, then saw a psychiatrist, was properly diagnosed and medicated. I was hesitant to try the meds but reminded myself that it was worth a shot, my son was worth it. I’m glad I did because I have been in control of my life again and capable of maintaining things I was once unable to do. There is pride in seeking help. Pride in knowing yourself and knowing how much strength it takes to face your problems head on. You are NOT alone.

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.

My name is Andrea. I am learning to live a better life. I have been involved with my local NAMI office for about the past 8 months and it has been a wonderful experience for me. I just finished a NAMI  Peer-to-Peer class in May. I got a certificate of Achievement  that I completed the education course. That meant so much to me. I have good people in my life.  I am feeling much better than I was earlier this year. I have bp2 and I have my up and down days but I now am learning new coping skills to deal with my bp 2. I have had bp2 for many years. I have made friends from my Peer-to-Peer group and I am very thankful  for that. I have also been clean and sober for 12 years. I know I am a fighter and I have been through so much. I have to keep going and continue to fight and be there for other people as well.  I am leaning to accept that I am ok just the way I am.   

I have had a major depressive disorder for over 15 years now. My thoughts move at the speed of light so I have trouble communicating sometimes. I’m in talk therapy and working through all the anger I have from years of trying to fit in with the rest of the population. CBT therapy has also helped with unhelpful intrusive thoughts and negative thoughts. NAMI-peer-to-peer also helped me connect with other people with similar stories. Mental vulnerabilities are real and people are speaking up about them now. You are not alone! #itgetsbetter

My brother, Russ, was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, but never properly treated. 18 years ago, in September, while at an inpatient hospital, he died in a car accident. We thought he was safe in an in-patient psychiatric unit. For reasons unexplained, they took him outside to smoke. Understandably, while psychotic, he made a bad choice and walked away from the hospital. Then he got into a running vehicle left alone (he probably thought it was a sign) and then drove away. After getting onto the highway he died smashing into oncoming traffic. My father was on his way to see his son on his birthday and he passed the accident.  He thought his son was safely cared for at the hospital, but, this was not the case. Our family sued this hospital and again, inexplicably, lost the case. What are families to do when their best efforts to get a loved one into safe care against all odds (due to poor insight of the ill persons and laws protecting their individual rights to mess themselves up) go wrong. It’s tough to love someone who struggles with mental illness. It’s tough to be someone who struggles with mental illness. Please hang tough, someone loves you. If you don’t know anyone who does now trust that someone will when you have had the benefit of good care and some time to stabilize. You are a good person and you are worth the effort. Stick around. Help care providers understand what you need.

I care deeply about the wellness of people’s lives and how the act of simply talking and truly caring about someone can potentially save other’s lives.

My first real art lesson was when my father taught me how draw a rose using basic shapes and shading. I don’t exactly remember my dad when I was little except that he was a really jolly fellow and as round as Santa. But today I’m really glad that I got my creativity and corny humor from him. My father had always prompted me to be creative and that was one of the greatest gifts he had left me with.

When I was in 6^th grade and only 11 years old he passed away all too suddenly. I had arrive at the hospital the day he died from kidney problems and there were no last “I love yous” or “I’m proud of you.” I wanted to be strong, I wanted straight A’s and I wanted to do it all for my dad. This was my way of thinking that temporarily helped me to survive my 3 years in middle school. But the years of denial and the bottling in of my emotions caught up to me and strangled my health. I needed help but I wasn’t conditioned to ask for anything. In my graduating year in 8^th  grade I wasn’t only struggling with delayed grieving of my father but I was also having extreme difficulty making speeches as the student body president and preparing for the 8th grade oral presentation all at once.

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It was never about how dirty the house was or how many newspapers you had saved overtime or the amount of magnets you had on both fridges. It was the draining effect of what your mental illness would bring. What mom was I going to see today? Will she be nice and funny? Will she be mean and hurtful? Will she be sad and kept to herself? Everyday was different. Each had a little twist to them. From bipolar to manic to depression the things that are forbidden to be talked about. Yet they take so much away from people. I never hated you I just hated your illness. I hated that you became mean in a blink of an eye or you get sad within seconds and I did love when you were funny because we could crack jokes but all it took was for one little thing and you’d switch. I never wanted this for you. All I wanted was my mom. Your illness took over and it was so hard to love you. When you knew how to take the wound you opened and twist and dig it deeper. I know one day ill look back and be thankful for all the lessons learned and maybe help others one day, but for now I just want to help you.