mental illness

Recognizing the Warning Signs of Mental Illness

Recognizing the Warning Signs of Mental Illness

As of the year 2021, there are 47.1 million people in the United States who live with a mental health condition. That is 19% of America. That is a 1.5 million increase from what was reported in the prior year. The numbers are real, and each one represents someone’s son, daughter, brother, sister, father, mother, or distant relative. On the other side of the statistics are human beings who have a voice that needs to be heard over the noise of shame, opinions, and perspectives that seek to sway society in one direction over the other. Coming together as a unifiedRead More

4 Steps to Take After Being Diagnosed with a Mental Illness

4 Steps to Take After Being Diagnosed with a Mental Illness

In recent years, the conversations around mental illness have evolved from taboo to mainstream. Celebrities like Lady Gaga and Prince Harry are becoming advocates and are helping shed the misconceptions around mental health. But as wonderful as this newfound solidarity is, it doesn’t really make a mental health diagnosis any less overwhelming. It can be a scary, sad, comforting, and confusing experience all at once. If you find yourself asking “what now?” don’t worry — here are some simple ways you can begin to move forward: 1. Talk to a Loved One Mental illness can feel incredibly isolating. Compounded withRead More

Long term financial planning for Families affected by Mental Illness

Long term financial planning for Families affected by Mental Illness

If you live with a loved one affected by mental illness and are concerned for their continued care after you pass, there are arrangements you can make to ensure their care that is not as complicated or expensive as you might think. Once you are not available to help a family member battling serious mental illness (SMI) with housing, assistance with daily activities, and getting to rehabilitation or counseling sessions, who will take over? You can arrange this in advance of your death and fund future care arrangements through trust and life insurance. This article will explain how this isRead More

Getting more Connected in the New Year

Getting more Connected in the New Year

Welcome to 2019! The New Year is a time most of us set intentions. We put closure on the past and look forward to the future with a renewed hope and anticipation. Right? Maybe that’s my own idealistic view. For many, optimism for the coming year doesn’t look any brighter than what’s come and gone. Mental Health and its effects can weigh us down, forging ahead in what feels like concrete boots. But it doesn’t have too… Those challenges can be compounded by those resolutions we set and don’t keep. You know the ones…to lose weight, to exercise more, or to makeRead More

Scholarship to Connect the Dots Between Mental Health and Learning Disabilities

My name is Morgan Miller and I am a proud recipient of a 2018 NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties Seeds of Hope Scholarship. Receiving a scholarship from NAMI ADCO helps support my goal of becoming a special education teacher. In my studies and work, I have observed an often overlooked correlation between learning disabilities and mental health. My passion for this work has been a dream since childhood. I believe as a future educator, I can help highlight the need for educators to know about mental illnesses and their prevalence in those with learning disabilities. In recent years, I have worked with individuals who haveRead More

2018 NAMI ADCO Seeds of Hope Scholarship

2018 NAMI ADCO Seeds of Hope Scholarship

On April 25th, NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties hosted its inaugural Seeds of Hope Scholarship Awards Breakfast at the Hilton Denver Inverness. We proudly awarded six scholarships to local students pursing a degree in a behavioral health or human service field. Our 2018 NAMI ADCO scholarship award recipients were: Talia Brown – Legend High School, Parker, Health Sciences and Psychology Sophie Camp – Mountain Vista H.S., Highlands Ranch, Psychology and Sociology (criminal justice) Sarah Knapp – Skyview Academy, Highlands Ranch, Psychology Brianna Lawrence – Regis University, Nursing and Psychology Morgan Miller – University of Colorado, Denver, Special Education Kimberly Smith – ArapahoeRead More

NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties Community In Our Own Voice Mental Health Recovery Presentation

NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties will host two presenters who will share their own mental health recovery stories. They will bravely share their lived experience to inspire hope.  Please join us Saturday, January 13, 2018, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm at Koelbel Library – The Forum, Greenwood Village, Colorado. NAMI In Our Own Voice (IOOV) presentations change attitudes, assumptions and stereotypes by describing the reality of living with mental illness. People with mental health conditions share their powerful personal stories in this 60-minute presentation. What You’ll Gain NAMI In Our Own Voice adds a critical perspective to the popular understanding of whatRead More

Depression Survival Guide

Depression Survival Guide

Post submitted to NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties by guest contributor: Larry Godwin, an excerpt from Depression Survival Guide: 35 Suggestions Although I am not a health ­care professional, I’ve seen depression from the inside. My expertise is rooted in the trials and errors of personal experience. Every person is different and therefore not all of these suggestions will work for you, just as they haven’t all worked for me. My hope is that through this list you can gain insight into at least one strategy that helps assuage your depression. Recognize That Depression Is Not A Sign Of Weakness It’s notRead More