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NAMI Keystone PA’s Blog features personal stories, press releases, news articles, and other content that provides information, insight, personal experiences, and more.
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WQED-TV: Living with Mental Illness, Part 3 - Depression
People often say they're feeling depressed. But major depression is a serious illness which affects millions of people of all ages and all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. During this conversation, Dr. Gary Swanson from the Allegheny Health Network explains the symptoms of major...
WQED-TV: Living with Mental Illness, Part 2 - Bipolar Disorder
Bob Regis had a family, a solid career and a promising future ahead of him. That was until bipolar disorder derailed his life. In this story, Bob shares his personal battle with bipolar disorder, which is a mood disorder characterized by depressive lows and manic highs. He also explains how he...
WQED-TV: Living with Mental Illness, Part 1 - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive compulsive disorder affects about 2.2 million men and women in America (nimh.nih.gov). Experts say it tends to be underdiagnosed and undertreated, mainly because it takes years for people to get help. In this story, Dr. Alicia Kaplan from the Allegheny Health Network explains the...
KDKA-TV: "Ian Walks America Speaks" at Conference One Year After Brother's Suicide
Last Labor Day, Ian Cummins crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a labor of love. KDKA first caught up with Ian in Kentucky, and in towns large and small, he found people who had been left behind by suicide - and listened. His was a mission to save lives. Three-thousand miles from...
Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Dormont Man Finds Hope, Raises 10K for Mental Illness Through Cross-Country Walk
As he trudged across the country from Virginia Beach to San Francisco, Ian Cummins knew he was not alone. The friends who walked across whole states with him; the strangers who offered their homes, food or just words of encouragement; the family at home in Dormont: All were there for him as he...
WTAE-TV: Robin Williams' Struggles Painfully Familiar with Depression Sufferers
Jeffrey Fitzwilliam can clearly remember the day 20 years ago when he decided to take his life. "What crossed my mind was how alone I felt and the darkness that consumed me," he told Pittsburgh's Action News 4. "I went to a very remote area and had every intention of killing myself...
KDKA-TV: Mental Health Experts Reach out to Franklin Hospital During Conference
During its annual education conference, the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Southwestern Pennsylvania is reaching out to the Franklin Regional School District. "NAMI is a family support organization and if anybody can extend compassion and understanding to those...
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Survivor to Share Healing at Mental Health Conference
Kevin Hines attempted suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. At 19, he convinced himself that everyone hated him and wanted him dead. He felt useless and weak. Hines survived the jump in 2000, one of only a few dozen people to do so. Authorities estimate...