Free classes will teach how to cope with mental illness - or how to care for a loved one

As many as one in every five adults in the United States experiences either a chronic or short-term mental illness in any given year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. That’s about 62 million people.

Despite its prevalence, however, mental illness remains a largely opaque subject. Its effects aren’t visible like physical illnesses or injuries, and a stigma stubbornly persists that mental illness is not something that should be discussed or shared openly.

In fact, in a survey from the Centers for Disease Control, only 25 percent of people with symptoms of mental illness believed people are caring and sympathetic to those with mental health problems.

The Columbus chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness wants to help change that.

Beginning in February, NAMI will offer two classes - completely free - to those suffering from mental illness and those who care for loved ones who are suffering from a mental illness.

The first, called Family-to-Family, is an 11-session course meant for family members, friends and caregivers of adults who are living with a mental illness. It is designed to help people “understand and support their loved one living with mental illness, while maintaining their own well-being,” said Doris Keene of NAMI Columbus. It will cover illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and more, Keene said.

The second course, called Peer-to-Peer, is a 10-session course meant to help adults living with mental illness “better understand their condition and journey toward recovery.” In the class, students will learn how to create a relapse-prevention plan, how to interact with health care providers, and other actionable skills to help with coping and recovery.

Both classes meet at the same place and at the same time, Columbus Hospice at 7020 Moon Road from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Family-to-Family begins Feb. 11 and Peer-to-Peer begins Feb. 18.

Anyone interested in taking one of the classes or finding out more information can call 706-320-3755 or email info4@namicolsinc.org.

Keene said the organization has held the classes before, and students have come away from the classes engaged and educated.

“You can imagine, you’re going among strangers and not sure what to share, and that’s one of the beauties of this class. People realize that other people are experiencing similar situations and they feel comfortable to share,” she said.

It’s more than just about support - people will learn exactly how certain illnesses physically affect the brain and specific techniques for coping with those illnesses or supporting those who have them.

“There are communication skills to talk about, there’s some role playing. So its not all lecture. There’s a lot of chance for discussion. We talk about medical things. We cover things like how the brain works ...We get people to understand that it’s a biological illness that can have environmental triggers,” Keene said.

“Our motto is “You are not alone,” and that is really important for people to realize, that they are not alone and there are plenty of people and we have to talk about it.”

This story was originally published January 25, 2018 at 4:22 PM with the headline "Free classes will teach how to cope with mental illness - or how to care for a loved one."