WAITING It’s hard being left behind. It’s hard to be the one who stays. — Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler’s Wife Teach us, O Lord, the disciplines of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work. — Peter Marshall Waiting and hoping are wound together like the strands of a rope. — BethContinue reading Quotes About Waiting and Hope
By Pat Streeter, Carolanne Wartman, Autumn Walkerly, Annice Siders, Barb Higman, and Mark Creekmore NAMI’s advocacy leadership team has great plans for 2021! Contact Mark (pmcreek@gmail.com) if you want to join our team and help with these activities. 1. New Story Jam sessions are coming. Join us, tell your story, and learn how to helpContinue reading Focus on Advocacy – Story Jam Sessions, Office Holder Education, and Advocacy Messaging
By Mary Palnau I’ve often read that one of the best ways to be a mental health advocate is to share your own personal story. I’m finally ready to record my story about the mental health challenges in my family. My mother battled major depression. Three of my six brothers were diagnosed with bipolar disorder,Continue reading My Family’s Battle
By Susan Tofford I was riding my bike on a hilly road the other day, thinking about all the ups and downs of my route. When I was going uphill on my bike, it was really hard, just like it’s really hard when my daughter has any type of relapse, be it mental health orContinue reading Reflection
Shannon’s Story I’m thirty-three years old, a special education teacher, behavioral therapist, softball coach, volleyball coach, tennis player, and lover of poetry and rap and hip-hop. I live with comorbid, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here is a summary of my life before I go into greater detail. I attended Columbia CentralContinue reading Young Adult Personal Stories Series
Nick’s Story I’m originally from California and am now a junior at the University of Michigan (U of M) studying Psychology and Neuroscience. Outside of school, I love to go on runs, spend time with my friends, and try out new coffee shops! Currently, I am on the executive board for Wolverine Support Network andContinue reading Young Adult Personal Stories Series
By Susan Todoroff and Bob Nassauer Washtenaw County Resources Washtenaw Community Mental Health Youth & Family Services Requests for services can be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling Access at 734-544-3050 or 1-800-440-7548. Or Dial 2-1-1.Website: ewashtenaw.org Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) Phone: 734-936-5900 Website: psych.med.umich.edu/patient-care/psychiatric-emergency-service/ St. Joseph Mercy Hospital AnnContinue reading Helpful Mental Health Resources for the Covid-19 Pandemic
Letting Go I had a lovely conversation with my daughter as I drove her to the Speedway gas station to get a vape refill, then to a friend’s house where she had left her bike the night before, because we didn’t want her riding it at night, especially stoned, which happens often these days. ThisContinue reading A NAMI Parent’s Essay
Washtenaw County clergy are invited to attend a virtual conference on mental health challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Prayer and Care: Mental Health Resources for Faith Communities will explore mental health conditions and how to access and make referrals to services at local clinics, agencies, and organizations such as NAMI. The conference willContinue reading Promoting Mental Health Through Prayer and Care
These are some of the books and workbooks that are used in NAMI Washtenaw’s Family-to-Family and Peer-to-Peer educational classes. Family-to-Family Bibliography Overcoming Depression (3rd Edition, 1997) by Demitri F. Popolos and Janice Popolos. Surviving Schizophrenia: A Family Manual (7th Edition, 2019), by E. Fuller Torrey, MD. Surviving Manic Depression: A Manual on Bipolar Disorder forContinue reading Family-to-Family and Peer-To-Peer Suggested Reading
