OUR BLOG

By Jennifer Pellecchia | Apr. 11, 2018 My name is Jennifer, and I’ve lived with mental illness for most of my life. I’m diagnosed with major depressive disorder, anxiety and an eating disorder. I have high-functioning mental illness, so even at my worst, I appear to be at my best. I’ve been able to live a full life, and, on the outside, I seem to have everything together. My parents didn’t know, my family and

By Laura Greenstein | Mar. 12, 2018 NAMI NATIONAL     Each year, about 100,000 youth and young adults experience psychosis for the first time. They might see or hear things that aren’t there. They may believe things that aren’t true. It’s like “having a nightmare while you’re awake,” describes Elyn Saks, a legal scholar and mental health-policy advocate. Unfortunately, when someone starts having these frightening experiences, doctors and medical professionals often tell them that

“Be strong!” “Toughen up!” “Don’t cry!” Never did someone stand over me as a kid and yell, “Let it out! It’s okay to cry! It’s human to hurt!” From my football coaches to my own father, it seems as though the social norm for men is to be some kind of impenetrable mountain of muscle that feels no pain and has no emotion. If we’re not hunting or fighting or eating a bloody, rare steak,

Educational topics always serve well. Also, having lay counselors who know the community resources may be important for their congregations and their communities. Supports for families that are trying to support a loved one with mental health issues. Last, they can talk about mental health from the pulpit to help real the stigma.

By Ethan S. Smith | Mar. 05, 2018 NAMI NATIONAL     I hear comments all the time: “My place is so perfect. I’m so OCD.” “No, it has to be neat and clean. I’m so OCD.” “You should see how I organized my Star Wars collection. I’m so OCD.” I was born with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I struggled throughout my childhood, through multiple high schools and left college after just one semester—consumed by my