When dealing with depression, resources are important. Today I would like to highlight a resource that I know fairly well – NAMI (also known as the National Alliance for Mental Illness). NAMI is an organization in the United States that works at 3 levels – the national, state, and local level. NAMI is found in almost every state, and there are many local chapters. The main work of NAMI revolves around education, advocacy, and support.
Education includes classes that are free for students. There are classes for those affected by mental illness. There are also classes for family members, veterans, young people, and health care providers. Essentially, there is usually something available no matter what your role in mental illness may be.
For advocacy, work is done at all levels to pass legislation to help improve mental health. Other advocacy work, which can involve speaking at press conferences or public events, can help to reduce stigma and increase conversations about mental health.
Next, support can include things such as providing resources and helping people know where they can get help. As you may guess, these three activities don’t always work alone – education, advocacy, and support can be found together in a lot of what NAMI does.
Overall, I feel that NAMI is a great organization when it comes to mental health. I have benefitted from its help over the years, and I continue to be a member and supporter of it. If you are interested in learning more about NAMI I encourage you to go to their website at www.nami.org Many state and local chapters have websites that can be found by a simple Google search. For a fee you can become a member, and there are reduced fees for those with limited means. Even if you don’t become a member, I hope you at least take a look at the group to see how they might be helpful for you.