Looking at how we deal with mental illnesses

Harlem Valley — There’s been a lot in the news recently about mental illness, specifically depression and Bipolar Disorder, following the suicide of comedian and actor Robin Williams. While the tragedy of Williams’ death struck a chord with millions of fans around the world, it also resonated with the countless masses who suffer from mental disorders.“Depression affects one in five people,” said David DeFerrari of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), “and I would imagine that more people are willing to talk about it, especially when someone is not only depressed but bipolar and getting into the manic stage when suicides happen more frequently, after something happens like what happened to Robin Williams.”It gets even worse when one looks at the statistics for children and teenagers.“For teenagers, suicide is the third leading cause of death; it’s car accidents, crime-related deaths and then suicides,” DeFerrari added. “Robin Williams’ death, because he’s famous, and cases like that I imagine, would have an impact because it’s a symbol of what depression means. It also shows that it’s so democratic, that depression affects everyone — you can be a millionaire ­— Robin Williams had few money problems; but his death might incline schools to get more active [in teaching students about mental health issues].”That is DeFerrari’s hope. He’s approached both the North East (Webutuck) and the Pine Plains central school districts and requested they include NAMI in their mental health awareness instruction. Dover Plains, Poughkeepsie and Kingston school districts, as well as additional locations in Dutchess and Ulster counties, will be hosting the free NAMI programs in the fall.The programs include the following courses: Family to Family, which is for families, partners and friends of individuals with serious mental illness; Basics, for parents and caregivers of children who have behavioral issues, undiagnosed emotional issues, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, or have developed symptoms of mental illness.There’s also a Peer-to-Peer course available for people with any serious mental illness “who wish to establish and maintain their wellness and recovery,” according to NAMI literature. It’s “taught by a team of trained mentors who are living healthy and productive lives with mental illness; participants will learn the tools needed to take control of their own wellness and recovery. Each class contains a combination of lecture and interactive exercises; classes are offered in Dutchess and Ulster counties,” but not yet offered in area schools.Those courses that are offered in the school districts are also being considered in Webutuck and Pine Plains; they could help save lives. According to NAMI, “many people with depressive illness never seek treatment, but the vast majority, event those with the most severe depression, can get better with treatment.”Pine Plains Superintendent of Schools Martin Handler agrees awareness and treatment are key.“I believe that these mental health issues, if not addressed, don’t get better, and in all likelihood get worse, and certainly we don’t want to see an end result that would be bad,” he said. “So simply making people aware of the services that are available and aware of the fact that they need not have a child cope with these issues in a vacuum, I think it’s extremely valuable.”That’s why the Pine Plains district plans to introduce the community to NAMI, specifically to the courses presented in Dover Plains. He said it’s easily accessed and a perfect way to increase awareness of mental health issues among parents, caregivers, community members and students.“I think people who have these issues tend to feel isolated and that they have to deal with this emotional turmoil in their life by themselves, and the fact they can be made to understand help is out there and they’re not alone and this is not a stigmatizing type of thing [is meaningful],” said the superintendent. “People are not embarrassed to have diabetes, or to have heart failure, but when it comes to mental illness people are reluctant to come forward. If we can break down some of those barriers I think that would be very helpful.”Handler said he’ll be speaking with the school psychologists, guidance counselors and the director of special services to see what kind of place the district might have for NAMI courses in the future.Meanwhile, Eugene Brooks Intermediate School Principal Jennifer Chason is wondering about exactly the same thing in the Webutuck school district. “I think [NAMI] is terrific; it’s a free program and it’s information; it’s geared toward understanding and knowledge of what mental illness is and how to help a person, family member or friend, and for that person not to be ashamed,” she said, adding the school district is planning to distribute flyers for parents, caregivers, community members and students to attend the Dover Plains and Poughkeepsie courses in the fall, and then look to bring NAMI representatives to Webutuck sometime in January if all goes according to plan.“Just look at what happened in the news recently with Robin Williams; it appears from the data [NAMI] shared with us that everyone has been touched or knows someone — either friends or family — who has been touched by mental illness,” Chason said, adding the NAMI courses can go into depth about depression and all of the other mental disorders that swarm around issues like suicide.“Bringing about awareness, and having the takeaway being recognizing symptoms of mental illness, and then knowing what to do from there, and what resources we have in the area, is critical,” she added. “The purpose is to make kids aware of early signs of possible mental disorders and how to deal with them, and to eliminate the idea of stigmas,” said DeFerrari. “If parents read this and then want these programs in their school they can call up and encourage their superintendents to bring them in. Absolutely, it will certainly help, as the schools will be more encouraged to go ahead with the programs.”DeFerrari added that education from organizations like NAMI doesn’t compete with what’s taught by the schools, but instead compliments it. He reiterated that awareness is essential, as is support from all those who may be around someone suffering from mental illness.“It affects the whole community — and the family, siblings, grandparents, neighbors, everyone — must get involved,” he said. “The idea is to first eliminate the stigma; a person with mental illness should not be socially isolated like a pariah. They should not be outside of society.”Chason noted that Webutuck is also hosting the Council on Addiction Prevention and Education of Dutchess County, Inc., (CAPE), on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 5:30 p.m. in the Webutuck High School auditorium, for a presentation on the alarming rise of substance abuse in Dutchess County. The presentation is open to the whole community. There will be discussions about the problem itself and what is being done to address the issue, as well as the role each person can play in reducing substance abuse in the county.The principal said the drug issue is closely tied to that of mental health.“We keep reading about the heroin epidemic in the county, and it’s unsettling to know that,” she said. “One of the flyers from NAMI said that one in four families has at least one member with a mental health issue and a substance abuse disorder, so they go hand-in-hand. Awareness is key.”For more information about NAMI Mid-Hudson Chapter call 845-832-6368 or go to www.namimidhudson.org.To contact the Webutuck school district call 845-373-4100; to contact the Pine Plains school district call 518-398-7181.