Class for family members of individuals with a mental illness

“Family-to-Family” is a free class offered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for parents, spouses and close friends, siblings, and adult children of individuals with a serious mental illness. More than 115,000 people across the nation have taken the course, which will be offered locally in Duluth through the NAMI-Duluth affiliate, beginning Sept. 19.

The class runs twelve consecutive Sundays. It provides information about the illnesses and about local resources, and enhances skills of empathy and communication through which family members can support and help their loved ones. Leaders of the class are trained NAMI volunteers who also have a family member with a mental illness. According to Joe Hoyt, one of two co-leaders for the Duluth class, “While we cover the different illnesses of schizophrenia, bipolar, depression, OCD, schizoaffective disorder, borderline personality disorders, PTSD and the anxiety disorders, we find that there are strong similarities in the impact of these illnesses upon lives of the individuals and their families.”

“Families in the class bond with each other,” says co-leader Nancy Minahan. “Even though mental illnesses are brain illnesses like Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis, they still carry stigmas which lead to family isolation, since families often have not had an opportunity to discuss their experiences with others. Family-to-Family counters that loneliness and stigma with accurate information and an exchange of viewpoints. It is freeing to find that one’s experiences and feelings are shared. Although serious mental illnesses are very common, a sad fact is that each family often feels very alone.

The class is limited to 25 people. To register or for further information, call Nancy Minahan at 715-398-6471.

Tags: community, superior, health, family