Thankfully Lauren Salkin you are not alone. NAMI is a grass roots support group of others going through similar experiences offering free support and classes. I wish I had known about them years ago. I highly recommend contacting them and taking their family to family course. It changed how I related to my family member with a mental illness.

What surprised me was that none of the health professionals involved in his care ever mentioned NAMI. It’s a huge lifeboat everyone should know about.

NAMI not only helped bring me from despair and a complete sense of hopelessness to a place of understanding and empowerment, it gave me the tools which help me and my relative live a better life.

When I first started taking their course, my loved one asked why I was wasting my time. By the time I finished it, he thanked me for taking it. I’m sure it was because of the change in how I approached his illness. Even though I was taking the course to help me, it helped him.

Going to NAMI support groups and programs, I was able to speak with others having a similar experience. It was so heartening to realize I didn’t have to go through this alone. That my feelings and experiences weren’t unique. That there were other people out there that “got it.”

Its members shared with me their experiences and the professionals and institutions that they found most helpful. That in turn got my loved one the proper care and turned all our lives around for the better.

NAMI is a wealth of information and has local chapters. Its members know what you are going through and their family support groups can make all the difference in your life.