The National Alliance on Mental Illness South Central Indiana chapter is offering its Family-to-Family Education Program free of charge to participants, beginning from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays, Jan. 8 through Feb. 26 in the Xenia Miller Conference Room on the second level of The Commons, 300 Washington St. in downtown Columbus.
Family-to-Family is an eight-session education program for family, friends and significant others of adults with mental health conditions. It provides information about anxiety, depressive disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions.
Other topics covered include communication, problem solving, treatment and recovery. Past class participants have lauded the program for helping family members realize that they are not alone in their struggle to help a loved one, and for providing practical information to help family members understand a loved one’s challenges.
The evidence-based course is designed to increase understanding and advocacy skills while helping participants maintain their own well-being. The program is taught by trained family members who have a loved one with a mental health condition. For information on the research base for the program, visit nami.org/research.
NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI South Central Indiana and dedicated volunteer members and leaders work to raise awareness and provide essential education, advocacy, and support group programs for people with mental health conditions and their loved ones.
Figures from the National Institute of Mental Health Disorders, part of the National Institutes of Health, show that an estimated 26 percent of Americans ages 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time, according to health experts. In particular, depressive illnesses tend to co-occur with substance use and anxiety disorders.
Information and to register: (812) 390-9023 or (812) 376-9364.
