A number of years ago God brought a beautiful person into my life. I only knew him for a short time but he changed me. He loved the Lord and he struggled with bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia.
Since then I have met friends and acquaintances that struggle with mental illness. I know some family members that struggle as well. The struggle in and of itself is hard enough, but the stigma attached to it makes it even more difficult.
Last year I decided that I wanted to learn more about mental illness so I could empathize and be a support to others. I took a course in mental health first aid (https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/cs/take-a-course/find-a-course/and then went to a conference on mental health. I am grateful for both experiences.
The Pathways To Hope Conference will be held in San Antonio and I want to encourage you to attend. Due to the generosity of donors, the conference is free. The experience opened my eyes to a great community of people and their struggles, as well as the struggles their loved ones experience. I hope you will consider attending.
Prevalence of Mental Illness. Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year. ... 18.1% of adults in the U.S. experienced an anxiety disorder such as posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and specific phobias.
Mental Health By the Numbers - NAMIhttps://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers
http://www.pathwaystohope.net
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