Sign Up for a Free NAMI Family-to-Family Class
October 24, 2020NAMI St. Croix will begin holding free virtual NAMI Family-to-Family classes here in the Virgin Islands.
NAMI Family-to-Family is a free, 8-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people with mental health conditions. It is a designated evidenced-based program. This means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition.
NAMI Family-to-Family is taught by NAMI-trained family members who have been there,
more » Read MoreLearn About the Eight Dimensions of Wellness
Taking care of your health has always been important. It seems to be even more imperative now as we all navigate the effects of COVID-19 in our daily lives. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a wellness initiative that promotes a different approach that can affect the overall quality of life for persons living with a mental illness and their loved ones.
Illustration from SAMHSA
Review SAMHSA’s “Creating a Healthier Life: A Step-By-Step Guide to Wellness”
more » Read MoreHow To Protect Your Mental Health During The Coronavirus Outbreak
The coronavirus outbreak, and the social-distancing measures now in place to prevent its spread, have turned all our lives upside down. But if you have a mental illness, the pervasive climate of anxiety, stress and isolation may be especially harmful to your well-being.
Here are several steps you can take to prevent this stressful time from derailing your mental health.
1) Maintain A RoutineIf you’re not used to working from home,
more » Read MoreHow To Ease Children’s Anxiety About COVID-19
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, concerts and movie theater showings are canceled. So, it’s not surprising that many of us are feeling more stressed and anxious these days.
Kids, too, may be feeling worried — especially if they already have an anxiety disorder.
more » Read MoreCommunicating Is More Than Finding The Right Words
By Keiko Purnell
My last depressive episode left me completely isolated. I didn’t respond to messages for months. Since I didn’t know how long I would be depressed, answering the question “how are you?” became emotionally draining. Actually, that one question was why I stopped talking to people entirely.
“How are you?” is such a knee-jerk opening line to a conversation; most of us don’t even realize we’re saying it, or pay much attention to the typical response of,
more » Read MoreFamily Survival Guide
By Chris Aiken, M.D. | Feb. 06, 2017
“You seem like you’re walking on eggshells,” our family therapist told me with a wise nod. The image of cracked eggs under my bare feet was strangely comforting compared to what our family was really going through. We were living with mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder.
Psychiatrists don’t know enough about how to help families in this situation. I should know—I’m a psychiatrist myself. When mental illness hit my home,
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