Open your mind: mental illnesses are brain disorders.

What are Severe Mental Illnesses?

Information-Advocacy-Referrals

Open Your Mind Campaign

What is NAMI-WM?

ERASE Stigma

Facts About Mental Illness

About NAMI-WM and Membership

What are Severe Mental Illnesses?

Mental illnesses are biologically-based brain disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depression, and panic disorder. Research suggests genetics and chemical malfunctioning of the brain as causes. Mental illnesses are not caused by character flaws or poor child rearing.

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Information-Advocacy-Referrals

NAMI-WM provides free information, advocacy and referrals relevant to legal matters, insurance benefits, children's services, medications, emergency/crisis services, mental health providers, doctors, rehabilitation services, descriptions of mental illnesses, treatments available, research findings, and much more. Contact us.

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Open Your Mind Campaign

Many people suffereing from mental illness and their families do not seek help because of the stigma mental illness carries in our society. This stigma is translated into discrimination such as underfunding for services and unequal insurance coverage. NAMI-WM tries to erase stigma through its Iris Project and Walkathon and through education of the public in schools, businesses, colleges, police workshops, civic groups, religious groups, legislatures, and media. NAMI-WM provides free speakers, literature, and videos. Contact us.

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What is NAMI-WM?

NAMI-WM is a local affiliate of NAMI, the nations's leading non-profit grassroots advocacy organization dedicated solely to improving the lives of children and adults with serious mental illness. NAMI-WM, with over 500 members, is a powerful voice throughout Western Massachusetts for fair treatment and better services.

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ERASE Stigma

Erase Stigma

NAMI-WM seeks to erase the pervasive stigma confronting persons with mental illnesses and their families.

Research

NAMI-WM promotes research as the key to understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatments of brain disorders known as mental illnesses.

Advocacy

NAMI-WM members advocate at local, state, and Federal levels for increased funds for research aznd services, for fairness in all laws pertaining to mentally ill persons and for accountability of service providers. NAMI-WM also advocates for individuals and families requesting assistance.

Support

NAMI-WM offers several free self-help Support Groups in various locations, including Peer Education Project Groups.

Education

NAMI-WM holds free open-to-the-public educational meetings, maintains a lending library of books and videos, distributes informational literature, and sponsors a free Family to Family course.

Contact NAMI-WM

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Facts About Mental Illness

• One in five families will be affected by severe mental illness.
• In any given year, about 5 million American adults suffer from an acute episode of one of the five most serious brain disorders.
• Symptoms of brain disorders usually strike during late adolescence or early adulthood, although they can begin in early childhood or late adulthood.
• Serious mental illnesses occur in all groups of people, regardless of race, gender, age, country of origin, ethnic or religious background, economic class, education level or intelligence.
• Mental illnesses are not the same as mental retardation, although a person with mental retardation may also suffer with a mental illness.
• Currently mental illnesses cannot be prevented or cured. But early diagnosis and treatment can often remediate symptoms and lessen further debilitation.
• Recent advances in technology have enabled researchers to explore the brain for causes of particular symptoms.
• New medications are being developed to target specific symptoms and to reduce negative side effects.
• With appropriate treatment, persons with serious mental illnesses may live fulfilling and productive lives. There is HELP and HOPE.

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About NAMI-WM and Membership

If you are not currently a member of NAMI-WM, if someone in your family has a mental illness, if you, yourself, have a mental illness, if you have a friend with mental llness, if you are a professional with an interest in mental illness, YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN!

Annual membership dues are $35.00.

Open Door Membership dues, for individuals with limited incomes, are $3.00.

Professionals are non-voting members. All members receive mailings from NAMI, NAMI-MASS, and NAMI-WM.

Make checks payable to NAMI-WM.

Mail to:

NAMI-WM

717 1/2 Main Street

Agawam MA 01001

For more information, contact us.

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