NAMI walks

4/21/08

last week, we had a diversity and anti-oppression training on ableism with 2 guests from disability wisconsin and the national alliance on mental illness (NAMI). they were both really engaging and informative, fielding difficult questions with genuine interest and expertise.

unfortunately, i missed out on a lot of the speaking, because there's this asinine policy of locking people out if they aren't on time. i have been on time for everything lately, with the exception of this day. but on this day, there was a topic i actually needed to hear about. nice.

anywho, after brenda wesley discussed her experiences taking care of family members with mental illnesses, i was taken aback. everything she talked about, i have gone through-- either myself or in dealing with a family member. she also brought up the fact that the stigma attached with mental illnesses aren't attached to things like diabetes and heart attacks. (if someone goes off medication for mental illness, they are judged and ostracized; on the other side of the coin, people with chronic illnesses who neglect themselves are catered to and comforted in times of need.)

the presentation was so informative. i know the wrong she has felt. it's hard to talk about those kinds of things, because i know that people flag that socially. stay away from her, she's crazy... it's not right. something else brenda talked about was the fact that african americans are often misdiagnosed or given improper treatment. the clues of mental illness within the context of black culture are different; if there are no psychiatrists who are familiar with the culture, how can the signs be appropriately identified? apparently, african americans metabolize drugs differently, and that can have an adverse affect.

at the end, brenda invited public allies to join the awareness campaign by participating in NAMI Walks, the annual fundraising campaign to raise awareness about mental illness and resources. i've decided to form a team with a few public allies, friends and family. we'll be walking may 17th at veteran's park. you can donate to our team "public allies, friends, and families" by getting in touch with me, or any participating ally.

if you'd like to walk with us, or to donate, please contact me. i'd like our team to raise at least $500. there's more information on the walk at the website or by calling brad montgomery at 414-344-0447.