May is Mental Health Month. You can go to the national NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) organisation web page for information on mental illness and finding support, and sign the stigma-free pledge, if you'd like, or go to the the NIMH (yes, as in The Rats of NIMH, the National Institute of Mental Health) website for a wealth of information. Jared Padalecki's description of the stigma of mental illness from the second article mentioned in the last post pretty much sums it up. The statistics are one thing. Living with mental illness, or loving someone who is struggling with mental illness, is very hard. I know that from personal experience. NAMI Lexington's Family-to-Family class, which was free, really helped me understand mental illness better, to learn to communicate better, and to care for myself and my loved one. I hope to go through training soon to teach the class to others. It's a mixture of learning facts and sharing your own story in a supportive environment, and for many it's been a life line. Here's a video about the class:
If you are having suicidal thoughts, in the US there is: 1 (800) 273-8255 [National Suicide Prevention Lifeline], Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week, Languages: English, Spanish, Website: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
If you or a loved one is in crisis, or otherwise you need guidance, call 1 (800) 950-6264 for the NAMI Helpline.
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