Classes emphasize community, caring under shadow of mental illness

Mental illness can irrevocably change the lives of those who contend with such disorders, and it can also prove difficult for family and friends of those individuals. The Williamsburg division of the National Alliance on Mental Illness is bringing back a series of classes designed to help family and friends who tackle that daunting task beginning Feb. 20.

Joe Bell began attending NAMI meetings half a decade ago after a family member was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which affects both logic and mood.

“The first thing that jumped out at me was, I’m not alone,” said Bell, now the secretary on NAMI Williamsburg’s board.

He hoped to help others reach that same epiphany, so he volunteered to help teach NAMI’s free Family-to-Family course, an 11-week curriculum laid out by the national branch of the organization.

“Trying to deal with a family member that has a serious mental illness — it is overwhelming,” Bell said, recalling the unpredictable behavior, the onslaught of medications and the general uncertainty that accompanies even knowing someone with a mental illness. “You feel alone, abandoned on an island. It’s unimaginable.”

Finding a group of peers, including those with more experience handling such situations, can be as life-changing as the diagnosis itself. Bell said NAMI can educate people and helps navigate the many misconceptions surrounding mental illness.

The Family-to-Family course covers a range of topics.

“It helps them set expectations that are more realistic for their loved one,” said Marcia Partch, a NAMI Williamsburg board member and the course’s other teacher. “It also gives them coping mechanisms and strategies so they can support their loved one and have a life of their own.”

The first class encourages attendees to introduce themselves and share their stories before outlining the stages of coping with finding out someone close is mentally ill. Other early classes outline illnesses such as major depression and schizophrenia, discussing their biology, how the brain is impacted and how genetics play a role.

One class focuses on the topic of medications, which Partch said is intended to help normalize their implementations. Other meetings address empathy, communication and how caregivers can also take care of themselves.

Partch’s son battles depression coupled with anxiety, making it hard for him to maintain work and relationships with others.

“They keep doing the same thing over and over, and most of those things are self-destructive,” she said.

Because it’s such a complex and far-reaching issue, Partch said it’s important to offer the Family-to-Family course for free.

“It’s a very thorough introduction to mental illness. It’s a disease. It’s an illness. It’s not character defects,” she said. “There are a lot of people who wouldn’t have access to this information otherwise.”

Bell shares that sentiment, hopeful that NAMI might help others through their own similar struggles.

“They can come away with a better understanding of what mental illness is. I think they’ll be better informed and I think their misconceptions of mental illness can be illuminated,” he said. “This is not something you can handle alone. We might be able to help you.”

Want to go?

NAMI Williamsburg’s Family-to-Family classes kick off 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 20, recurring each Tuesday through May 1 inside room 171 of the Williamsburg United Methodist Church, 500 Jamestown Road.

All instruction and course materials are free. Preregistration is required by calling 564-8564 or emailing marciapartch@aol.com. For more information on the course, visit namiwilliamsburg.org.