Dear Friends of NAMI Columbia County
November 22, 2020
We could not have predicted that the greatest global pandemic in a century would emerge in 2020, nor could we have predicted its impacts on our community as a whole and NAMI Columbia County as an organization. Our signature activities – Family Support Group, Family to Family, Legislative Advocacy, Education Programs, etc. support the caregivers of those who suffer from mental health issues. These had all been conducted as in-person activities. When the shutdown began on March 15, we had to find new ways to serve our community which is disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
more » Read MoreWhat Can I Do to Be There for My Loved One with Mental Illness?
It’s simple. Be there for them.
Treat them like a human being, look them in the eyes, and let them know that their disorders do not define them. Tell them that you love them.
Make them a cup of coffee just the way they like it on the days they can’t remember how to work the coffee machine. Pick up their medication from the pharmacist on the weekends when they can’t get out of bed. Ignore those weeks where they might smell a little “funky”
more » Read MoreHudson exhibit a successful fruition of therapy, art
Fifteen years ago, when Brian Belt was diagnosed with schizophrenia and substance abuse disorder, his mother reached out to the Columbia County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMICC) for support. The community and resources she found there gave her strength as she and her son navigated a long, hard road.
“During the worst phase of my life, the NAMI Family Support Group helped her get through all the chaos I was bringing into her life,” Belt recalled in a recent interview.
more » Read MoreHow to Build Empathy and Compassion for Yourself and Your Clients, and Why Both Are So Important
The BBRF 2020 International Mental Health Research Virtual Symposium is available for viewing On-Demand.
If you haven’t yet registered to watch the presentations, CLICK HERE to register and begin watching. We encourage you to please forward the program to your friends, family and colleagues, too!
more » Read MoreNew Research on Adolescent Mental Health During COVID-19
Newportacademy.com, October 19, 2020
As the global pandemic continues, researchers are looking at how COVID-19 will impact mental health—including adolescent mental health. From fear of disease to the psychological effects of isolation and the economic downturn, the crisis combines multiple factors that negatively affect well-being. And teenagers may be among the demographics that suffer most.
With less life experience and perspective than adults and an emotion-regulation system that’s still under development, teens have fewer inner resources to draw on.
more » Read More