Harriet Shetler and Beverly Young, two mothers of sons diagnosed with schizophrenia, faced relentless blame for their son’s mental illness. Exhausted by continuously taking the blame for a situation where no one was at fault, the two women found themselves upset at the lack of treatment and understanding regarding mental illnesses. In 1979, both Harriet and Beverly sought out others who felt the same, and decided to hold a meeting to discuss these matters and how to better them. Thus, through a group of families huddled around a kitchen table, an alliance was unknowingly being formed, which advanced further through consistent meetings and a shared passion for spreading awareness about mental illness; this would later develop into the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) that is established today.
NAMI is currently the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Initially, the focus was to preserve and strengthen family relationships in order to promote recovery, and focused mainly on the family members. However, over time, NAMI has created services and programs to also include the people diagnosed with mental illnesses as well. Such services include support groups, educational activities, informational publications, as well as presentations. Consisting of over 500 local affiliates, all connected with each other, who work in local communities to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need, NAMI has proved to be a dependable and noteworthy organization that has helped many.
Personally, I have volunteered at NAMI events during my high school years, and this organization introduced many creative approaches as well as passionate individuals in their faculty which helped raise a significant amount of awareness about the truth behind mental illnesses. I had participated in NAMIWalks every year, and by junior year I took part to lead my group of my friends in order to raise money for NAMIWAlks, as well as volunteer at the stations during the event.
The extent of their services is what is the most impressive. I truly realized how creative the affiliates were in including education to raise awareness during a moment while volunteering at the NAMIWalks event. After our team had finished running out station, we were allowed to walk around the other stations and talk to the guests who arrived, bringing new inventions and gadgets they’ve been designing from their companies to aid mental health awareness. One individual had been working on a small toy robot which could sense a person’s emotions from just a touch, and then give advice based on the mood. It was the most fascinating innovation, and my group and I were endlesslessly interested in the efforts NAMI had made in order to bring different ideas and individuals together in order to advance their mission in a creative fashion.
Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is a less-than-ideal situation which has left us quarantined for an indefinite period of time. While the conditions only seem to gradually worsen, there is no doubt that everyone is mandated to stay inside, and this poses a high risk for those diagnosed with mental illnesses. Not only does this increase the challenge of receiving treatment, such as therapy and medications, but may put a strain on family relationships that were not previously on the best terms, and this unsupportiveness from their family may be a major trigger for some with mental illnesses.
NAMI has provided an elaborate response to the pandemic, and has taken many measures in order to continue reaching out to families of those with mental illnesses and also for those diagnosed with mental illnesses. They have created an online message board which allows for virtual discussion groups in case one is seeking comfort or support from another who is experiencing something similar. They have also published a detailed informational guide with tips and steps to take to continue receiving therapy and medication and how to overcome the challenges regarding mental illnesses faced with social distancing, along with continuous uploads of informative videos as another resource for those struggling in these times.
Addressing a commonly overlooked issue, NAMI focuses on raising awareness about mental illnesses through unique approaches that are both creative and well-strategized. They have also proved to be responsible and dependable by showing an active response to the pandemic taking place. I hope that you will also see the fundamental needed for organizations like these in times like these, and will consider supporting NAMI’s continued efforts to promote recovery while strengthening relationships.
In today’s day and age, there is so much information available to people—but with the spread of information also comes the spread of misinformation. Even though many people know better than to blame family’s the way Harriet Shetler and Beverly Young were, there are still a multitude of people who do not. As such, it is vitally important for people to have access to the information they need to refute the claims of those who argue it is a mother or father’s fault for a child having a mental illness. Especially with COVID-19, a lot of people have nothing better to do than sit inside and be internet trolls all day, it is important that families have resources to turn to so the negative comments do not get the best of them—something that NAMI provides.
ReplyDeleteHowever, amidst corona, it is a highly stressful environment to have a mental illness in. Many neurodivergent people rely on a structured schedule to keep them grounded, and everyone’s schedules have been upended with no clear timeline for when they will revert back to normal. That’s why the work of organizations like NAMI are more vital than ever right now, and I am so grateful that you have brought them forth for discussion. Not only are they connecting people to the normal services that they have been deprived of (therapy, medication, etc.) but they have created a safe place for people to simply vent. Oftentimes, neurodivergent people feel invisible and like they are not understood and being cut off from their normal support system likely makes those thoughts even stronger. As such, having a place where people can commiserate because they actually understand what a neurodivergent person is going through is vital to getting through this time without resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms. If anyone reading this feels as though they need help, I urge you to reach out—maybe even through NAMI, but there are other resources available to—online counselling (https://www.betterhelp.com/start/?go=true&utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=Search_PPC_c&utm_term=betterhelp_e&utm_content=2920279000&network=o&placement=&target=&matchtype=e&utm_campaign=124701580&ad_type=text&adposition=&msclkid=66846fbb6bff1591f622312c370d2948¬_found=1&gor=start) and texting services (text “START” to 741-741).
Overall, I feel as though the topic of mental health is going unnoticed at the moment since everyone is so concerned with physical health, which is why I am so glad that we have the opportunity to support this organization.
Sabrina Reba
Thank you for your charity pitch! The origin of National Alliance Illness (NAMI) shows how mental health is often neglected and mistaken for other things. As you mentioned, COVID-19 has altered the regimens that individuals relied on to maintain their mental wellness. Whether it’d from lack of socialization or increased socialization, it shows that the creativity that NAMI brings to the table is critical to catering to the varying needs of mental illness. I think its particularly essential that you mentioned affiliates to NAMI and their contribution to awareness because it adds functionality and credibility to an organization. Especially with the use of technology, access to support methods and information is important when contact is restricted. The impact of their advocacy among their 500 affiliates goes to show that the chain reaction of spreading awareness from a support group to a NAMIwalks event. It’s something that you have done as well through this charity pitch with the aid of technology. Through validity and reassurance, individuals suffering from mental illness are given the community that provides support. This course and your pitch have highlighted how advocacy builds communities of informed individuals that can understand their place amongst an environment of numerous factors.
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