NAMI presents at the September Morrow County Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting
At the Sept. 17 Morrow County Chamber of Commerce meeting, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Outreach Coordinator Tracie Bayer presented the video “In our own voice,” featuring individuals who have experienced mental illness.
Bayer combined the video with her own personal journey with bipolar II and narcolepsy. She shared insights she gained about her own mental health as she described her symptoms and experience between sections of the video.
She listed what happens when someone struggles with mental illness. Symptoms include self-injury, risky behavior, hallucinations, manic episodes, depression, and misuse of alcohol and drugs. It is behavior which disrupts daily functions.
Bayer’s own story from the age of 13-18 had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder after her mother passed away and the family moved from California to Ohio. At 18, she entered Columbus State and earned a degree in nursing. Nursing had been a major goal for her and for many years she enjoyed working in the nursing profession.
What helped Bayer and individuals in the video was realizing help was needed, having regular counseling with a caring therapist, and acceptance of the health condition. Family support and support in the community or at work is valuable as well as realizing recovery is an on-going process.
Alberta Stojkovic is a correspondent for The Morrow County Sentinel.
