Blog

I experienced social anxiety when I was only five years old. I couldn't speak to anyone, especially girls, all of my elementary school years. In 1958 there was NO awareness or understanding of Mental Health so I was just considered shy and told by many to "just snap out of it and get some guts."...

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My life has been anything but dull, this is for sure! My diagnosis came while I was in high school. It came after a mental break after trying to be too strong, from traumas in my childhood, for too long. I was 17 years old and rebelling against everything in my life. I was drinking and doing...

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My first break with reality came when I was 25. It was the summertime, and I was a high-school teacher who had my summer off. I was severely depressed and would stay in bed all day. I was isolating, not eating, not sleeping at night, and drinking a lot of caffeine and alcohol...

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This brother and sister team created a beautiful video of their mom Mary Lou for the NAMIWalks. Their team, Mary Lou's Krew, is our top fundraising team of 2015. Take two minutes and watch the video now.

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I was diagnosed with major depression at age 12, and then diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 14. I was prescribed a lot of medication, and high school wasn't easy for me. My family had a hard time understanding what I was going through. I wanted to drop out of high school at 16 but instead...

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What is it about failure that makes life complicated? Is it the fear of failing? Is it letting others down? Is it feeling like you're wasting time or talent? Is it feeling like you don't have all the answers? Is it feeling depressed and not being able to get out of bed every day? Perhaps it is a...

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My brother Douglas James Lohman, born July 31, 1989, passed away unexpectedly this past October after fighting a grueling battle with mental illness. By sharing his unique and difficult journey, my family and I hope to spread awareness, provide support and break the stigma associated with mental...

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We adopted our son from the Children's Home when he was just three months old - a beautiful, healthy baby boy. I had so many dreams for his future. Kyle made it through high school, but was unable to cope with the pressure of college life away from home. His change in behavior certainly didn't...

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My mother's mental illness has shaped the narrative of my life. By the time I was 10 years old, I knew my mother was different from other mothers. My basic needs were provided for, but her increasingly odd behaviors alienated her from me emotionally at that difficult age when I really needed...

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