Brazosport Regional Health System Hosts NAMI Support Group
Brazosport Regional Health System will now host a NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) support group every 2nd Thursday of the month. The goal of the support group is to provide support to family and friends with loved ones who have a mental illness. According to NAMI, approximately 6 percent of the American population suffers from a mental illness, affecting 1 in 5 families.
A mental illness is described as a medical condition that interferes with a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, daily task, and the ability to relate with others. Mental illness is characterized by depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder. If mental illness is left untreated, the economic cost is more than 100 billion dollars each year in the United States. With the support of family and friends, plus pharmacological and psychosocial treatment, mental illness symptoms can reduce by 70 to 90 percent and improve the quality of life for that individual.
The first meeting for the support group will be Thursday, January 10, 2008 from 6:00pm-8:00pm. The first hour of the meeting is called care and share; it’s a time to discuss issues and give advice to others. The 2nd hour will normally feature a speaker and a specific topic. However, the meeting held on Thursday, January 10th will allow members of the support group to choose their desired topics that they want to hear throughout the rest of the year.
The meeting will be held in classrooms B & C at Brazosport Regional Health System located on 100 Medical Drive in Lake Jackson, TX. If you would like more information about the NAMI Support Group, please call Jeanette Taylor at 281-585-3100.
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