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Family to Family Education Program What is NAMI’s Family-to-Family Program? The NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 12-week course for family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses. The course is taught by trained family members All instruction and course materials are free to class participants Over 300,000 family members have graduated from this national program https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae1ru1SBaaI A tribute video containing moving testimonials about the NAMI Family-to-Family program from family members and course instructors. The group setting of NAMI Family-to-Family provides mutual support and shared positive impact—experience compassion and reinforcement from people who understand your situation. Sharing your own experience may help others in your class. In the program, you'll learn about: How to solve problems and communicate effectively Taking care of yourself and managing your stress Supporting your loved one with compassion Finding and using local supports and services Up-to-date information on mental health conditions and how they affect the brain How to handle a crisis Current treatments and therapies The impact of mental health conditions on the entire family How can I find a course in my area? Family-to-Family classes are offered in hundreds of communities across the country, in two Canadian provinces, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Go here to find a link to the latest class schedules: https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-Programs/NAMI-Family-to-Family For further information, please inquire by contacting namieducation@nami.org. Here is more info; each page has links to a searchable database for resources in your area: NAMI Basics Class: https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-Programs/NAMI-Basics NAMI Family Support Group: https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-Programs/Nami-Family-Support-Group NAMI Homefront (based on the Family-to-Family program): https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-Programs/NAMI-Homefront NAMI Peer-to-Peer ("... adults with mental health conditions who are looking to better understand themselves and their recovery"): https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-Programs/NAMI-Peer-to-Peer NAMI Parents & Teachers is now NAMI Ending the Silence (has links to info & for scheduling a presentation): https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-Programs/NAMI-Ending-the-Silence www.nami.org Contact Us NAMI: 3803 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203 Main: 703-524-7600 Member Services: 888-999-6264 HelpLine: 800-950-6264 -
Family to Family Education Program What is NAMI’s Family-to-Family Program? The NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 12-week course for family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses. The course is taught by trained family members All instruction and course materials are free to class participantsOver 300,000 family members have graduated from this national program http://youtu.be/zdwh6WM8E6M A tribute video containing moving testimonials about the NAMI Family-to-Family program from family members and course instructors. What does the course include? Current information about schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder (manic depression), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, and co-occurring brain disorders and addictive disordersUp-to-date information about medications, side effects, and strategies for medication adherenceCurrent research related to the biology of brain disorders and the evidence-based, most effective treatments to promote recoveryGaining empathy by understanding the subjective, lived experience of a person with mental illnessLearning in special workshops for problem solving, listening, and communication techniquesAcquiring strategies for handling crises and relapseFocusing on care for the caregiver: coping with worry, stress, and emotional overloadGuidance on locating appropriate supports and services within the communityInformation on advocacy initiatives designed to improve and expand servicesHow can I find a course in my area? Family-to-Family classes are offered in hundreds of communities across the country, in two Canadian provinces, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. View the current Family-to-Family course schedule For further information, please inquire by contacting namieducation@nami.org. General Information NIMH Grant to Study NAMI's Family to Family Program New Study of the Family-to-Family Education Program Tell Me More Personal Stories A New Family-to-Family Teacher’s Perspective Consumers as Teachers Testimonial From A Family Member Psychiatrist Who Took The Nami Family-to-Family Peer Education Course News From the Field NAMI Brings Family-to-Family Program to Veterans' Families 2009 Training the Trainer Application A New Family-to-Family Teacher’s Perspective Directors Attend Fantastic New Family-to-Family Event www.nami.org -
Learning To Help Your Child And Your Family Having a child with a mental health condition can be a challenge, but there are ways to help make things easier. Each year, 1 in 5 kids aged 13-18 experiences a mental health condition. This means many parents have faced similar challenges and experiences as you. Be Attentive Begin by taking notice of your children’s moods, behaviors and emotions. Early intervention, especially with signs of psychosis, is critical because mental health conditions often get worse without treatment. Many conditions are cyclical and periods of strong symptoms may come and go. Symptoms aren’t visible all the time. Children may also hide certain symptoms by saying and doing what they believe is expected of them. What To Do If You Notice Symptoms If you think you notice symptoms, schedule an appointment with a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist as soon as you can, or if that is not possible, then with your pediatrician or primary care physician. Make sure that you provide your healthcare professional with as much detailed information as you can: Past mental health evaluations and other medical records Descriptions of symptoms, when they began, and whether they have changed over time Any medications or other medical treatments that your child is receiving Anything else that is requested or that you think might be valuable information If a doctor, psychologist or counselor does not provide a diagnosis or referral to another professional, you should ask why and consider their reasoning. If you disagree, trust your instincts and seek a second opinion. It is often better to be cautious than to ignore a potentially serious problem. If your child reports seeing or hearing things that are not there, without the influence of drugs or alcohol, then you should seek medical treatment immediately. This may be an episode of psychosis. Such episodes might also include: spontaneous violent behavior, denial of reality, nonsensical and paranoid claims, removal of clothing, reckless and dangerous behavior, or claims of invincibility and other special powers. Even though there are a variety of treatment options available, it can be difficult to locate and secure the proper treatment. You can find directories of mental health professionals and treatment facilities through PsychologyToday and SAMHSA. How To Continue Helping Your Child Learn All That You Can In addition to seeking help from healthcare professionals, you should educate yourself as much as possible about your child’s mental health condition. NAMI Basics is an educational class that teaches parents and other family caregivers how to cope with their child’s condition and manage their recovery. You can also find information about specific mental health conditions and treatment options on our website. Talk With Your Child’s School Check to be sure that your child is receiving appropriate care and services at school. Children with mental health conditions may struggle in school without assistance, leading to frustration and stress. Fortunately, the law requires that schools provide special services and accommodations to children with mental health conditions that interfere with their education. Learn more about how to acquire necessary educational services. Work With Your Child You need to remain respectful and understanding of your child’s feelings even if everything seems to be working against you. You should avoid getting angry at them for behaviors that are not under their control. This does not mean you can’t set limits or impose discipline. What it does mean is that you must set your expectations in consideration of your child’s mental health. This is often referred to as part of “finding a new normal.” Although it can be hard to accept, people who develop mental health conditions may never be the same as they were before. Expecting the same standards of behavior from prior to the onset of their mental health condition will only cause frustration and stress for everyone. How To Hold Your Family Together When you have a child with mental illness, it is easy to let your concern for them grow to consume your life. Here are some things to remember: Take Care Of Yourself While it is your responsibility to care for and support your child, it is also your responsibility to take care of yourself. You may have to adjust your priorities or your lifestyle, but you should avoid letting the challenges posed by your child’s mental health condition make you neglect other important parts of your life. In some cases, the stress of raising a child with a mental illness can contribute to the experience of mental health challenges by a parent. If you begin to feel that you are struggling with sadness or anxiety, do not hesitate to seek treatment for yourself. Caring for your own mental well-being will serve as a model for your child to follow, and ensure that you are healthy and able to care for your child. Take Care Of Your Family Remember that if you have other children, they may resent being pushed to the side if all the attention is placed on their sibling’s mental health challenges. Make sure that they understand what their sibling is going through, and that you spend time with each of them. Keeping a happy and balanced family can be very helpful in reducing stress levels for everyone, which can help alleviate symptoms of mental illness. Get Your Family Involved If you live with a partner or spouse, or have other children, try to get them involved in being an advocate for your child. You may find that you deal with challenges and obstacles differently than them, but you should find ways to combine strengths to overcome any weaknesses. Be ready to compromise, listen and be open to new ideas. It is possible you may discover that some members of your family have little interest in supporting you and your child in dealing with challenges posed by your child’s mental health condition. It is also possible that a spouse or significant other may be a negative influence on your child. They may demand discipline for behaviors your child cannot control, deny that there is anything wrong or insist upon an irrational course of action. Helping to raise a child who has a mental health condition can be stressful, and it is unrealistic to assume that anyone, yourself included, will always react in an ideal way. However, you must also realize that it is your responsibility to protect your child, even from others that you care about. -
I had lunch with my dad and step-mom today, both wonderful people and I love them very much. My step-mom was asking questions about how I was, trying to understand why I'm having such troubles with stress and pressures of life. I told her that there was a lot about my PTSD I don't share, because Dad doesn't like talking about it. He then said, "Just get on with life, leave the pain behind, move on." I said, "I did that for all my life, Dad, which is why I am in the state I'm in right now." He shook his head, he said, "I just don't understand it, so it's better if we don't talk about it." I agreed with him. I said, "Ya. That's why I don't talk about it." I love him very much and try to see him and my step-mom at least once a month for dinner or a visit or something. It bothers me that he doesn't want to know or understand, but it doesn't at the same time. He has never been my emotional go to guy. He has been there for me in other ways, but not in that emotionally supportive type of way. I wish he wanted to know, but maybe he is afraid to know, too. He doesn't have to know for us to have a relationship and to love one another. I guess that's very adult and mature of me? LOL I wanted to open up and tell my step-mom the things that happened to me that my dad knows about (he always advised me to soldier on) and the things he doesn't know about because I could never tell him (molestation as a girl). However, I can't talk about it in front of him. It spoils a pleasant visit. I almost asked my step-mom to get together for lunch with me, just me and her, so we could talk about it, because I think she's concerned and curious. I want to open up to her. I do love her, she is a kind and wonderful person. I just don't see why it would help anything to tell her. If she really wants to know, she would contact me on her own and we could talk about it, hey, and I don't feel she needs to have the information that my dad denies and the other stuff I won't tell him. I guess there's no point to this post, other than to just share the experience, and ask if anyone else has these issues with their parents regarding depression and mental illness? Do they know? Do they want to know? If they know, how do they respond? Are they there for you, or not? How's it affected the relationship? Do you wish they wanted to know more? Or do you keep it from them?
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when somone says to me (you have your whole life ahead of you) or ( your still young) I reply to them that my mother passed away 3 year ago and she only made it to 60 and this year ill be 30 so my life is half over. Oh I know its a big world out there lots to see lots to do many people to meet. But for those of us stuck at a job we hate and cant get anything else because of lack of money and education, we feel buried alive with no hope of rescue. How can you tell someone that its a big world when all they see is 4 walls and no exit? I wont say much about myself other then my aga and im a man. I grew up into a school system that was content to let me sit at the back and fail untill I was deemed old enough to be kicked out. I was raised by a single mom, who thought that doing my homework instead of teaching me how to do my homework would be more productive. And in her later years due to fail relationships and her own failings decided to guilt and threaten and belittle me into submitting my self to a live of mediocor pay, failed relationships and over all seclution from anything other then work or sleep. My mothers side of the family consider me a black sheep who is not to be talked to or looked at. My siblings (2 sisters) one would like to see me dead, the otehr shows me pity because she herself can not do anything on her own. I am at a job where my boss would like nothing better then to retire in about 7 years, and it dosnt matter how or who but anyone he can throw under the bus or point the finger at or use as a shield he will. I can not leave this job, and I have no money to reeducate myself because I just make bills. And even if I went back to school I would have to start from grade 5 again. That is my level of education. I dont even know basic math skills. nothing above simple add subtract and multipy. If i wanted to do anymore id need a calculator. serfice to say i would be slaughered in my first few weeks of university level corses. why get a loan, to owe some bank, to go to a class to a person who may or may not like you and help you based on how they feel about you on top of understanding the subject matter and being able to support yourself and pay your bills while attending class. Let me tell you I will never learn because the system that would teach me dosent care about me, it wants my money and nothing else. Girlfriends will give you sex for cash. when you run out its buy buy and off to the next. Family only wants you around if you can do somthing for them or help them out. When people ask you to be a refrence on a resume its because they want to use you for somthing. I belive in christ but its all about the mission and donate money and collection plate and everyone getting paid. Im getting sick of these red blood flesh sacks thinging they are better because their family sent them to soem school and now they probley dont even know half what they learned. Shows like are you smarter then a 5th grader are proof of it. I challenge you to go to a high school and ask your avrage grade 10 student a math problem they should easly be able to know off the top of their head and see how lond and if they can even awnser it. Visit a speacil needs class and see if those needs are really being met or if they are just sitting in a room playing games waiting to get on some form of goverment social aid. No wonder people want to die. School, Work, Goverment, Police, Docktors, Lawyers, All professions, all peoples, all races and belifes, its all a sham and a lie. No one give 2 s***s about you unless you have more money and influance. Thats the bottem line. People only respect fear and power. If you have neither then you want some of it, and if you cant get it then your stuck under somone who dose. Thats your life and mine in a nutshell if your feeling depressed or suicidel then your probley in this kinda situation. Wish I had a solution for you. Oh yeah well Im at it, friends, had em in school and soon as I was out they all took off and not a word/ Do they care, hell know they want power and money or they want to have people afraid of them so they can feel powerful, do you think old friends care about you unless you can do somthing for them? hell no. -
Most of my childhood I was terrified of my mom. I know she tried to control herself, but to me it seemed like she had no mercy. Hitting was a regular punishment in my early childhood. Sometimes she would just get so frustrated with me that she would swing me around by an arm or two. My younger sister was abused by her too, and we learned her violent behavior so when we had disagreements they would sometimes end up in vicious brawls. My dad has emotional issues, so I don't think he has really abused me other than by just being abnormally cold and emotionally distant. When I was in about 7-9 grade my sister (she is three years younger than me) bullied me relentlessly. All I had to do to provoke her was walk into a room. She would verbally harass me regularly, not letting me have a break to gather my thoughts and realize that she was wrong. The worst kind of bullying is when it comes from your own family member, because there is no escape whatsoever. I know it was due to her own insecurities, but in the long run it did so much damage to my self esteem that our relationship has continued to suffer. Now I see that my sister has some real personality issues. She seems to be narcissistic, or something along those lines. My mom no longer abuses me, but my dad is worse than ever. I just recently figured out that I was depressed. That was like a revelation. I felt awful for years and I didn't know why. I've pretty much isolated myself from everyone and have only a few friends. It's very difficult for me to talk about emotions. I'm on medication and it has yet to start fully working, so as of right now I just need to somehow keep my hope up. I really want to become involved in my own life again, but I can't do that until I start feeling better.
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Hi ... Im new to this forum. I have joined because I don't have anyone i can talk to even though my mother supposedly suffers from depression. She is probably the most selfish human being I have ever come across. We get along now after years but its very hard at times. ANYWAY! I was diagnosed with chronic depression about a year n a half ago and the doctor pointed out i've probably had it 4 7 years (from being 16) even though I hav seen endless amounts psychologists, doctors, cpn's etc! Im finding the fact this is for life extremely hard and the fact i will never be as happy as i long to be. :( My boyfriend is great although he doesnt understand it at all and gets frustrated at times but tries his best. I have cheated on him a few occasions. he knows bout some and not about others , the guilt was ******* me but i am slowly learnin 2 deal wit it cos i will never tell him the extent of it all and I know now i will never hurt him like that again. We live together and its been hard but it WILL work bcoz we love eachother very much and are the best of friends. I keep pushing my friends away because im very paranoid and accuse them of talking about me and i read situations so diffrently to what they really are but i convince myself i am right. I really need to get to the doctors regarding anxiety as depression is still there , i have become these past 5 months become more anxious and paranoid and prone to panic attacks that seem 2 come on very suddenly. This depression has affected my relationship with the best most important person in my life or not so now. My little 13yr old sister caitlin, we havent spoke for a while now. In the months leading up to this I had become very irritable and would argue with aswell as my boyfriend infront of her over really petty things and probably end up in a state cryin to the point i cudnt breathe properly. Ive also cut off other people for no reason whatsoever partly paranoia maybe as to what they think of me (the dreaded in laws) as my boyfriend has had a complete different upbringin to me , he's had a good one. me-bad! :( .... resentment could be something too! I have done many various qualifactions and completed youth groups , done things im very proud of, had many 'none ever lasting longer than a few months' jobs and cant seem to hold one down but really want to work aswell! frustrating... , not half as much as i used to and am planning on quittin very soon ( i make alot of do-able plans every day bt rarely go ahead ). is a factor more than likely so this is very important to do eventually. All i can do is keep on tryin. I drink myself stupid at time and have always used these 2 factors to cope through life. aswell as the occasional use of other drugs. I would also like to mention about something thats been bothering me regarding hormones .... it seems that when i get too happy, i then plummet into fatigue and depression very rapidly and also before my period i am pretty much bed-bound and evil to others i love , i say evil bcoz i say things to them that shud never hav left my mouth.. I set out to really really hurt them. Hormone imbalance? Thanks to anyone who reads this and replies, Rachel xxx
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Hey guys, it's me again. I still feel like a loser. Sometimes, I'm tired of people keep saying, think positive, or it gets better, or be strong. I have heard this a thousand times. No, things do not get better. Really, I'm just sick, tired, and hurt. I dunno what to do, I dunno where to go, I dunno who to turn to. Every time someone tells me to "think positive" to me, it's just false hope, they just want me to put a fake smile on my face, and pretend everything's gonna be ok. Well guess what, they aren't gonna be ok. Things are just not that simple. They do it so they don't have to listen to what I have to say. But when I don't people would accuse me of being emo and keeps away from me. This, rejection just hurts me more than anything. Emo, and depression, are 2 different things. Emo is just a fad, they're just a bunch of people who are never happy, wear black, listen to metal music and think they got it tough. More or less, theyre faking they're depression. Why do people have to be so cold, cruel, heartless, selfish and greedy? It's not like I want this, it's not like I asked to be depressed. Infact, what have I done to deserve such bad luck? I know, I am just the biggest loser in the world. I'm dumb, i'm talentless, i'm not rich, i'm not popular. I don't have no fancy education. I'm a nobody, i'm nothing. I can't do anything right. Anyone who says everyone is good in something have obviously never met me before. I have failed everyone around me. I don't have friends, I don't have a job, and I don't have money, I have nothing. I can't make or keep friends, i'm a bad friend. I'm always alone in the world, an outcast among outcasts. Everyone hates me. Even my mom. All she ever does is nagging me half to death. Do this, do that, clean this, clean that, get a job, and other stuff. What does she take me for? A servant, a butler, an unpaid maid? She just tells me to do stuff so that she don't have to do it. And I prefer to do things at my own pace, in my own time. Incase ya havent noticed, I don't take being told what to do too well anyways. Not even once does my mom even try to be loving, understanding and supportive. The things that I so desprately want. I would give up anything just to be liked, just to be accepted, just to have friends and family that like me and understand me for who I am. Just to be like normal. I'm only after what everyone else is after. Sometimes, I just wanna run away from home, so that I can do what I want, and when I feel like doing it. Or one better, end my own life, and all the pain, all the suffering would go away...
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Hey guys, My boyfriend and I have been going out for nearly 3 years and we are the best of friends. One of the things that brings us together is our strong morals, one of them being we are strongly against drugs. However, his parents (mainly his father) has been using drugs for a rather long time. And I have begun to notice it. All the symptoms are there, and the smell is just disgusting. My partner and I are both 19 but he has young siblings too. His mother claims to love her kids completely and care for them, but I know she used to smoke it too, although I am not sure if she has given it up. I don't know what to do. My boyfriend feels like he can't even hold a decent conversation with his dad because he is always too high to talk to anyone. I don't know what to do. I am very against drugs of any kind, and normally I would tell the police, but the big family of 7 rely on his income. But I am scared and confused. He can get very violent, and he is also an alcoholic, and he sometimes drink drives. My boyfriend wishes there was something he could do (he has told his mother, but she just says "ohh" and walks off), and I feel like I can't do anything because I don't want to tear the family apart. Help? Thankyou. Sorry it was so long.
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I work at Walmart as a new associate. I have been there only about 4 months. My mom used to drive me to work because I am not a good driver. I have had a few lessons but I'm not ready to drive any time soon. I do have my learner's permit but everyone in my family is to busy to teach me to drive. My mom isn't a good teacher and my aunt has her own 14 kids and volunteer activities so she can't give lessons. My mom found a new job- a night job despite the fact that I found her a ton of jobs during the day so she could drive me at night. She had an excuse for why she wouldn't be hired at any one of those jobs. I gave up and hired a driver who, while she is a nice lady, drove me for about 3 weeks then had to have surgery for a condition she has. She's not to blame for anything and I'm glad she is going to get the surgery and be okay. But now I need to hire another driver and not many people are to anxious to drive someone who works part time evenings. I get that but I want to hold onto my job. I live in one area of town but got hired in another part of town. The distance from home to work is only about 15 minutes. Taking a cab costs $20 dollars each way. Buses make me nervous and I refuse to get on one if I can help it which my mom and aunt don't understand because they aren't scared of anything. Especially my mom who has some disgusting habits. I'm severely anemic and underweight as it is. Riding my bike even 15 minutes makes me very tired. And riding my bike to work means I have to go through the highway because that's the fastest way to work but on my bike it would take me at least 40-50 minutes and since I'm so skinny- I get cold in the summer sometimes- putting on winter clothes will only do so much. I feel like I'm complaining but I've only done that to about 3 people and mostly it's my neighbor I complain anyways. I think my complaing about my situation makes me look like an *** and a baby. I have tried to make the best of my situation. I tried to hire another driver and still keep my job. No one at work lives around me or works my hours. Although everyone at my Walmart works odd hours. I also keep getting sick. My health is okay but I get a lot of colds and other problems and my energy is very low but even with my problems I get to work on the days I need to and do what I have to. I feel depressed every few days and think thoughts I'm not supposed to but I don't act on them. I force myself out of bed even when I'm dead tired even if I've been sleeping for hours. Basically I'm in a rut. I'm not really going anywhere. I'm just existing and that makes me miserable.
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I'm bipolar. That's something I have to learn to live with. And that's something the people close to me have to learn to live with. It's not a death sentence. It's a disease, which from what I understand, is mostly genetic. Nothing I can do about it. Didn't ask for it. Don't want it, but it's there. Right now I'm tip-toeing, not really knowing what I should do, how to cope...With time, I'm sure we will manage. With the proper therapy, the proper medications, it's a disease you can live with. I don't want to be aggressive. I don't want to be violent. I don't want to be sleepy all the time. I don't want to feel like nothing can help. I don't want to be stuck, thinking there's no hope. I really don't. But hey, bad luck, I won the lottery. These last couple of days, I realized, browsing through forums, that, of course, I'm not the only one. We are many. And we support each other. I didn't want to take the Cymbalta, but for the sake of my family, in the hope it will help me, I started taking it. There are some annoying side effects (nausea, belly cramps, dizziness) but I know that they will fade away with time. I won't give up. I don't ever give up. Why do you think there's a phoenix tattooed on my shoulder ? I always got up. I fall, I get up again. I've been through hell, with my family, in relationships, at work, in my own mind...I'm still there. Still alive. I'm a tough Biotch, I am.
