Disgust: A Natural Emotional Response To Abuse

By Hilary Jacobs Hendel, LCSW April 07, 2020 Disgust is an emotion I never gave much thought. It was just something that happened to me if I caught a stomach virus or ate something disagreeable. But after practicing psychotherapy for several…

April Member Spotlight

Get to know NAMI member and volunteer Kimberly Labine. I first heard about NAMI when I was in one of the darkest places in my life. I was in the hospital and someone came to do an In Our Own Voice presentation and it really spoke to…

Finding The Best Medication Regimen

By Katherine Ponte, BA, JD, MBA, CPRP March 30, 2020 After I received my diagnosis, I did not want to take my psychiatric medications. I thought the illness was just a phase and would pass. I doubted that a pill could address my erratic…

How Schools Treat Children With Mental Illness And What Parents Can Do About It

By Phillip Kassel March 27, 2020 Many school systems are geared to educate students who are able to sit quietly in a seat for most of the day, can readily absorb subject matter, and are able to score “proficient” in standardized…

How To Ease Children’s Anxiety About COVID-19

By Dawn O’Malley, Psy. D.  March 25, 2020 COVID-19 has changed our lives in ways we never would have imagined. Discussions about the virus dominate the news. Many schools and businesses are closed or running remotely. Sports events,…

It's Okay If You Need Meds To Be Okay

By Nyemade Boiwu March 23, 2020 I have asthma. I use an inhaler because sometimes my lungs need the extra chemicals to help them function properly. No one thinks it’s “weird” or “weak” to use my inhaler. No one suggests that…

Coronavirus: Mental Health Coping Strategies

By Katherine Ponte, BA, JD, MBA, CPRP March 20, 2020 The coronavirus can significantly affect mental health for everyone, but especially for those with mental illness. Both the anxiety of contracting the disease as well as the increase in…

Defeating Stigma with Science

By Mark M. Rasenick, Ph.D. March 18, 2020 We already know that stigma plays a role in preventing people from getting the care they need. One in five Americans experienced a mental health condition in 2018, but only four in ten received…

The Many Forms Of Mental Illness Discrimination

By Katherine Ponte, BA, JD, MBA, CPRP March 11, 2020 Discrimination against people with mental illness is widespread. It can be highly detrimental to reaching and staying in recovery. At times, as sad as it may be, the best way for us to…

How Public Officials Can Protect the Rights of Prisoners with Mental Illness

By Jennifer Honig March 09, 2020 In the U.S., one third to one half of people in state prisons and local jails have mental illness. Despite this fact, funding for prison mental health care has been historically inadequate, which…