Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4RysJspGE4 Starts at: 02:09:20 (jump to 02:09:20)
Heather — NAMI Recovery Support Group Advocacy
[02:09:20] Tyler’s one of my favorite people ever. [02:09:23] I, like Patrick, I’m a facilitator for NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group. [02:09:30] And I’ve been doing it for seven years. [02:09:35] What’s important to me to tell you guys about NAMI and NAMI Interim Accounting is that it changed my life. [02:09:42] I was in a really bad place for about six months before I went to my first meeting. [02:09:48] And I walked down this really long hallway. [02:09:50] All in this church that was super old. [02:09:51] And I was like, this is like a bad mental health hospital. [02:09:54] And I’m like going in for six people, right? [02:09:56] So I went in and I sat down. [02:09:59] I was like super nervous because everybody’s talking about like the scary bad stuff. [02:10:02] Not that I’m in recovery or I’m doing well or I’m sunshine or whatever. [02:10:06] And so after I left that first meeting, the first thing, which is NAMI’s big thing, but it’s like really actually true. [02:10:14] I will speak that to anybody who will listen, is that you’re not alone and to not give up. [02:10:20] You have to have hope. [02:10:21] And after I left that meeting, I said, I’m going to make a difference. [02:10:24] Once I get to where I could get, because my anxiety was so bad that I was rocking my body or twiddling, picking hangnails, rolling marbles in my hand, anything I could to just sit through the meeting. [02:10:35] I had a driving anxiety where I couldn’t drive, I don’t know, maybe a radius of like, my friends would be like, how far can you drive? [02:10:41] I don’t know, like five minutes because I would lose so much sleep from my bipolar disorder causing, you know, sleep deprivation. [02:10:48] Then it would feel like I was in a drunken state. [02:10:50] And then I’m like, well, I’m not safe to drive, so I’m not going to risk anybody else. [02:10:53] And then my freedom left me. [02:10:55] And so the church, which NAMI is not faith-based, but the church provided that outreach for the room for us, which we’re still in to this day, it made a difference for me. [02:11:07] And when I left there, I was like, oh my God, I’m really not alone. [02:11:11] Like, that’s a big deal. [02:11:12] And it only takes one person to make you feel and know that no matter what you’re climbing through, how dark it is. [02:11:19] And most of the time, I’m pretty happy and outgoing, but many people don’t see me when I’m not doing well. [02:11:24] Because I don’t want to burst the positivity of life that I tend to exude because I love life so much. [02:11:30] So anyways, it changed my life. [02:11:32] And Patrick’s been facilitating for about four years now. [02:11:35] I’ve been doing it for seven. [02:11:37] At one point, it was every Sunday from 6 to 7.30 for many years. [02:11:42] And I wouldn’t be able to do that without my husband. [02:11:45] He’s been a really, the big support because he saw the change. [02:11:48] And I kept doing it, and I would still keep doing it as long as I can. [02:11:52] Because we see not only how it changes lives and improves wellness, but also saves lives. [02:11:59] Patrick and I, you know, someone came into one of the meetings and was scared to death to talk or didn’t want to be that person. [02:12:06] And we know what that’s like. [02:12:08] And some days, I’m still like, why do I have to live with mental illness? [02:12:11] Why do I have mental illness? [02:12:13] So I use it for the good. [02:12:15] I’m very grateful. [02:12:17] My best friend is here. [02:12:19] She lives like five minutes away from me, and we’re both military spouses. [02:12:24] And so she’s been a huge support. [02:12:26] And I don’t think that’s open from the very beginning that I have bipolar because I have a very bad stigma. [02:12:31] But she would come and pick me up. [02:12:34] She was my person. [02:12:35] Outside of someone who had mental illness, who actually understood. [02:12:38] I remember asking her one time, you know, what would you say? [02:12:41] And she’s like, mental illness, someone living with it is really hard. [02:12:45] It can be really hard. [02:12:46] And she’s also told me that I’m one of the strongest people that she knows. [02:12:50] So people like that, my husband, my best friend. [02:12:53] Patrick’s one of my very best friends. [02:12:55] And we both have like minds, like in more than one, many, many ways that she’s in one way. [02:13:00] So that makes a difference. [02:13:02] So you all being here tonight, online, I know we’re trying to recognize you. [02:13:07] I guess you guys are important. [02:13:09] Sorry about that. [02:13:11] So we, Ann and I, you know, traverse the monsoon or whatever. [02:13:15] I literally just got back in town a couple hours ago. [02:13:18] I’m a little hypomanic from sleep because I was on vacation. [02:13:21] And I was like not missing it this year. [02:13:24] So I’m so glad you guys are here. [02:13:26] I feel all the feels. [02:13:27] I’ve had a little tears and stuff. [02:13:29] You’re so amazing and wonderful and I love it. [02:13:31] And this is super important. [02:13:33] So thank you for everybody that’s participating. [02:13:36] If you don’t have a person, even just one person, whether it’s a friend, a spouse, hopefully someone who has similar struggles like you. [02:13:44] Because no one knows that unless you’ve actually been in their shoes. [02:13:47] If you don’t have that, or even if you do, we have our support groups every other Sunday, first and third Sunday, in Arnold. [02:13:55] You don’t have to be an Anne Arundel Park resident because when we were on Zoom, which we didn’t love, but when we were, we had people coming from some of our friends that were in the group originally that moved out of state. [02:14:05] Or people in other counties. [02:14:07] So you welcome everybody. [02:14:09] And I’m not a spokesperson for now. [02:14:11] I just love it so much because it helped me make it. [02:14:14] And I look at Patrick and I see all the things that we’ve been through. [02:14:23] And we’ve seen each other through times where you didn’t know if you were going to make it. [02:14:27] So I stay here and I’m proud to say that I’m grateful. [02:14:31] I’m grateful for birthdays. [02:14:32] I’m grateful for friends. [02:14:33] I’m grateful for this opportunity to be here. [02:14:36] And if you have any questions, I have the NAMI sticker on too. [02:14:39] So in intermission or after whatever, come to me. [02:14:43] Thank you.