NAMI as a resource

I don't use NAMI as a resource very often.  I think it's because in the old days they represented "brain diseases" to the exclusion of disorders of abuse & neglect.  They were founded by parents of schizophrenic and bipolar individuals who worked to improve the lives of their children.  Those of us with disorders of abuse & neglect really never had representation because our parents were usually the cause of our problems.

But NAMI has changed.  Even in the 1990's they had begun to understand our needs.  I know as I was Consumer Council president for a year and as director of the Mental Health Association in Las Vegas, NM, I worked close with people from NAMI planning statewide activities.

I've been keeping up with NAMI activities in recent years here in Western North Carolina.  There isn't a chapter really close, but not too far away.  And SEASCAT signed up to present at a statewide conference that will happen in the not too distance future.  (At least I hope it happens soon.  It was scheduled for early February but postponed for funding reasons.)

I hope you read this far, as I do want to point out a few resources.  One is the NAMI Advocate, a newsletter.  It is published at the national level about twice/year and it full of useful information and personal stories.  It's available online at https://www.nami.org/advocate .

The other is the NAMI blog, with lots of short personal stories and links to other resources. It can be reached online at https://www.nami.org/advocate .  I related to one of these, which is written by someone with BPD (borderline personality disorder) and is about her connection with her "FP" of Favorite-Person.  I could see this as what I do as a Life Coach with a college student that I work with and with others from the FB page "Healing from Complex PTSD".  With the people from the FB page, I simply keep myself listed as a supportive other and people in crisis connect with me for a short period of time until they've made it through the crisis.  I really just provide encouragement and remind them they are not alone.  I know, as I've been there.

I need to find work, and this is where I feel I fit the best.  The hard part is asking for pay for doing it.  As long as I can afford to do it for free, I will.  But I have been homeless and will continue to seek out ways to make $ while doing it.  HHmmm.

While I'm writing, let me apologize for not getting posts submitted more frequently.  My Internet, where I live, is worthless.  I do have a lot of articles half written and will get those finished and posted as soon as I have more time online to do so.

Feedback is always welcome.