NAMI Day on the Hill

Well, I'm here in Nashville, TN, for NAMI's (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Day on the Hill. This is when we talk to our representatives about mental health care issues. I'll be speaking with my Senator in just a few hours.

I don't know what it's like in your state, but in mine, they are proposing to cut even more money out of the mental health care budget. Here it means they may have to shut down Peer Support Centers, which would hurt a lot of people who have a mental illness like bipolar disorder.

I've been teaching a Bridges class at a local peer center, and there's a woman in the class who said that if it weren't for the Peer Center, she would still be on the streets, homeless and hungry, and sick. It costs less than $4 per person per day for a Peer Support Center. Without it, many of these people would be in the hospital (at over $600/day) or in jail (at over $3,000/mo.).

I don't usually get up on a soapbox about anything, especially not anything political, but this is different. This hits home. There was a time when I was homeless because of my bipolar disorder, and lucky I didn't end up in jail for some of the stunts I pulled when in a manic episode.

I consider myself very, very lucky that I was able to get help for my disorder. If I didn't, I don't know where I'd be today.

Instead, I'm balanced and stable, happily married, living in a nice duplex on a horse farm, driving a (very used) car without any problems, and paying my bills. And I'm about to get my first book (about when I had 8 different multiple personalities) published. Yes, I'm very blessed.

But others are not as fortunate. What would you do if you couldn't get help?

I urge you to contact your state representatives and ask them not to make the proposed mental health care cuts. Or check out the NAMI website for more information.

Wishing you peace and stability,

Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele