NAMI

[Dreamline]

My therapist told me about a NAMI class that just stared.  Its to help you learn skills to have less relapses in your illness.  Its for any major mental disorder and is free.  They also have a support group you can go to and I am kinda mad nobody ever told me about this stuff before.     All the time I was going through crap recently and didn't have anyone to talk to or anything...nobody even mentioned these to me.  I went to the first one, it was just an orientation but I met this girl maybe about my age and she has a service dog.  I am taking pix of my dog to the next one. 

[SmilingElephant]

Wow! Hey keep me posted about it...i think there's a NAMI chapter near me...i jus never know what they really do.

[Phyllis]

Yeah NAMI meetings.... None in my area. They seem to be localized to big cities. The closest one is like 2 hours away from me. I would think there would be one in the Dayton area, but they are only in cincy, columbus, and cleveland.    Of course, if there isn't one in your area, they suggest you form one... LOL yeah, not so much. Maybe if I'm manic! 

[Dreamline]

That sux...I'm surprised there is one in my city...I'm in a big metro area but my city is kind of the obscure one in a way.  I'm not complaining though.

[dragonfly]

wow your very brave ,i like to just talk online with you guys ,saves on petrol and i am safe in my world,i am very picky about who i talk to face to face in society,theres just so many stupid people out there,so i applaud your bravery to even consider sitting in a room with heaps of people,i even find it amazing you live in a built up area,my village has a population of about 200....thats enough.good luck with it and i hope it helps,even if you just prove to yourself you aren't afraid to face people and talk to them about your deep dark secrets....good on ya...

[Paz]

 Yeah, I don't know if I could go to a meeting and have to talk about stuff....I don't mind it at the Pdoc or Therapy because that's one on one...I think I would be too freaked out by a crowd   ...unless I was feeling euphoric or just manic.

[Ashes]

I tried the NAMI groups in my area and found them to be unorganized  and uneducated about various illnesses.  Of course this is just in my city. 

[Dreamline]

Yeah, I don't know if I could go to a meeting and have to talk about stuff....I don't mind it at the Pdoc or Therapy because that's one on one...I think I would be too freaked out by a crowd   ...unless I was feeling euphoric or just manic.

I think I'm a little hypomanic, still on my comedown from that manic episode.  I talked more than anyone else there   There's only 12 people in the class.  At least I'm not the only bipolar one...but the only BP having current issues it seems.

[Paz]

 I had a bad experience with NAMI so I don't have much faith in them....but if it helped you then perhaps they are getting better at what they do. Do you plan on going to the meetings on a regular basis?

[Dreamline]

I had a bad experience with NAMI so I don't have much faith in them....but if it helped you then perhaps they are getting better at what they do. Do you plan on going to the meetings on a regular basis?

Yeah, they are every saturday until some time in october.  What happened to you w/ NAMI?  If you don't mind me asking.

[Paz]

 I posted on the NAMI board when I was extremely manic and messed up and they banned me...they told me I had to write an apology to the admin [which I did] and even that wasn't good enough for them. DJ created BPbabble for me because I needed someplace to be able to vent. I have found that NAMI seems to be more interested in fund raising than actually helping people, but that is just my opinion and experience.

[dragonfly]

thats the lack of control thing right there,we just can't shut ourselves up sometimes and we are no more responsible than a drunk person,,and somehow normal society thinks they can fix that,,i don't think so,,we shouldn't be punished for a symptom should we...

[Dreamline]

I posted on the NAMI board when I was extremely manic and messed up and they banned me...they told me I had to write an apology to the admin [which I did] and even that wasn't good enough for them. DJ created BPbabble for me because I needed someplace to be able to vent. I have found that NAMI seems to be more interested in fund raising than actually helping people, but that is just my opinion and experience.

Of all people they should have been understanding!!!  They should appologize to YOU!  The class I go to is taught by fellow "psychos" (called peer-to-peer) so they are pretty cool, we even talked about how we should be non-judgmental towards anybody in the class. 

[Paz]

 I felt like they should have apologized to me as well, but that will never happen...and I was totally shocked that they were so shitty about the posting thing, I mean, it was a forum for people with BP...Mentally Ill people! If they couldn't understand that a person who is manic might post something inappropriate, then all of us with MI are totally fucked! I have no faith whatsoever in that organization NAMI doesn't seem to care about the mentally ill if they ban them from a place that is supposed to be there for support & help. They suck. At least some good came out of my experience...BPBabble was created because NAMI dissed me, and I am glad that DJ built the site for me and all of the members who eventually joined up. 

[Dreamline]

That's true, this site rocks!!!     Screw their board then, I'll never post on it accept to say how I feel about it...then get banned...or post when I am manic...I dunno