Wishing

This is great. I wish I had this and I wish and hope for all family members to take advantage of this.



Classes available to help cope with mental illness
Comet staff report

Do you have a loved one who suffers with serious mental illness?

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides free help to families with loved ones who are suffering with mental illness.

A Family-to-Family educational class taught by trained NAMI family members who have a mentally ill loved one will possibly begin May 7 in Delphi.

The eleven-week, nationally recognized education and support classes have been taught to thousands of family members. The classes include information about the causes of mental illness, what the various diagnoses mean, upto date information on medications and side effects, where help is available, the signs of relapse and coping with stress and emotional overload.

A University of Maryland study of 95 families demonstrated significant benefits to participating in the Family-to- Family classes. Compared to a control group, six month following their classes, graduates had a greater knowledge of the causes and treatment of mental illness. Family members felt less burdened by a loved one's illness and had an improved understanding of the mental health system. Family members also showed a reduction in depression.