It seems like so long ago when I first found out my child was mentally ill. It was a difficult road, where information, answers and support seemed impossible to find. At the same time, I also had my own disorders to deal with - depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder. My church, the school and even my own family had no understanding of what was happening, and would say things that seemed to make it worse. It was a time when I felt very alone, helpless and unable to help my own child.
When attempting to get accommodations in school for my child, I found a very nice, helpful woman in an organization called NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). I became involved with NAMI and learned so much about my child’s illness, my own and how to deal. The amount of support I found there was incredible, and it was wonderful to have a place where I could talk openly about mental illness and what we went through. This inspired me to learn how to teach NAMI programs and run a support group. Later, when I married my husband Mark three years ago, he got thrown in the deep end when my now adult child came to live with us for a few months before getting his own place. We now teach and lead together and as a team continue to learn and move forward on this journey through the world of mental illness.
Many ask what qualifies us to run support groups. Mark and I trained together to teach family education and run support groups for family members of those with a mental illness, and did that together for a while. I also trained to teach families of children and adolescents with a mental illness and taught that program many years ago.Additionally, I have also trained to facilitate peer recovery support groups (which I currently do for NAMI.) I was certified as a lay counselor in the Baptist church in 2007 and have several psychology credits under my belt as well as Crisis Intervention Counseling training. None of these qualifies either one of us to counsel anyone, but that is not what a support group is for. We have enough knowledge to be able to facilitate and lead a support group, and have many good, reliable resources to refer people to when that is what is needed. More than anything, through the experiences, pain and living lives that have mental illness in them, we have developed compassion and a passion to serve those who also live with mental illness and need support and encouragement.
We hope that if you live in our area, you will visit our support group, and feel the love and unconditional acceptance that is so evident at each meeting we have. If you live farther away, I hope you find some helpful information here, and that you will consider opening your hearts and your church to a similar ministry; it is so needed!
Kim
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