Time to talk about mental health: Groups help families, too
Published Monday 19 September 2022 18:03
By Julie Whittaker
For the company
The National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI, provides support to individuals and families coping with mental illness in local communities through trained volunteers. Davie residents have access to these grants through NAMI NW Piedmont, NC. Families learning to manage a sick family member can benefit from participating in these free programs.
The NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for any adult with a loved one who is experiencing symptoms of mental illness. Gain insight into the challenges and successes of others who have had similar experiences.
NAMI’s support groups are unique because they follow a structured model, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to be heard and get what they need.
• Free for participants
• Designed for adult relatives of people with mental illness
• Guided by family members of people with mental illness
• 60-90 minutes long and meets weekly, biweekly or monthly (varies by location)
• No specific medical therapy or treatment is recommended
• Confidential
By sharing your experiences in a safe environment, you can find hope and build supportive relationships. This group gives your voice a voice and an opportunity to meet your personal needs. It encourages empathy, productive discussions, and a sense of community. You will benefit from the experiences of others, discover your inner strength and empower yourself by sharing your own experiences in a non-judgmental space.
The NAMI Family Support Group will help you:
• Strive for better coping skills
• Find strength in the exchange of experiences
• Don’t judge someone’s pain
• Forgive yourself and reject guilt
• Embrace humor as healthy
• Accept that we cannot solve every problem
• Understand that mental illness is nobody’s fault and can be a traumatic experience.”
For more comprehensive training in dealing with mentally ill family members, NAMI offers the NAMI Family to Family course.
NAMI Family-to-Family is a free 8-session educational program for family members, significant others, and friends of people with mental illness. It is a proven evidence-based program. This means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving skills of those closest to a person with a mental illness.
NAMI Family-to-Family is taught by NAMI-trained family members who have been there and includes presentations, discussions and interactive exercises.
NAMI Family-to-Family not only provides information and strategies for caring for the one you love, but you will find that you are not alone. Recovery is a journey and there is hope.
The NAMI Family-to-Family group setting offers mutual support and shared positive impact – experience compassion and reinforcement from people who understand your situation. Sharing your own experiences can help others in your class. In the program you will learn:
• How to solve problems and communicate effectively
• Take care of yourself and manage stress
• Support your loved one with compassion
• Find and use local support and services
• Up-to-date information on mental illness and how it affects the brain
• How to deal with a crisis
• Current treatments and therapies
• The impact of mental illness on the whole family”
NAMI NW Piedmont offers via Zoom on the 1st and 3rd Monday from 7pm to 8:30pm (Monday meetings in person may be available soon) and the 2nd and 4th Tuesday from 6pm to 7:30pm of each month Family support group meeting. In addition, the Family-to-Family course is offered at least annually, and when we have facilitators available, twice a year. E-mail [email protected] to request meeting notifications. You can visit NAMI NW Piedmont, NC or follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NAMI.NWP.NC to stay up to date on opportunities.
