"The NAMI KDK Family Support Group monthly meeting became a constancy in my life since the summer of 2018, the year that a serious mental health condition emerged in our son and dominated our family life.

In those bewildering and confusing early months, my wife and I got to hear and learn from people who’s been there, a whole lifetime into it, and still ongoing. It gave us our reality check. This isn’t going to magically go away. It will be a lifetime of work, a lifetime of love.

Each monthly regrouping gave opportunities for shared grieving and learning through updates of our ongoing lives, good news of recovery and pains of setbacks. We tell our stories of personal struggles: emotional ups and downs, frustration with medical services, bump-ins with law enforcement, and how only families of loved ones with mental illness can understand what we’re going through.

After a temporary halt due to social distancing, NAMI KDK’s Family Support Group monthly meeting resumed via Zoom video conferencing for May. It worked! I do miss being at the same table as my NAMI family. The updates and sharing happened naturally! Emotions and caring happened! It worked!

I’m happy that this one constancy in my life continues in these times of uncertainty."

-John L.

"During a time when I felt hopeless, alone and lost I was told to try NAMI support groups.
I didn't know anyone in my family or friends that had a mental health condition that I could talk to.
NAMI Connections Support Groups opened up a whole new world of hope, understanding and empathy.
I was amazed at how fast I could relate to individuals I didn't even know and soon found that it was a wonderful
way to get support and answers when no one else could provide them for me. NAMI educated me on
my bipolar disorder; how to cope and manage my highs & lows. It's wonderful making connections
with individuals who have similar experiences that I've had. NAMI has become like a second home to me, where
I feel comfortable and can be myself without hiding anything. Every connections group session is so unique
because you never know who will attend or what they will have to say. I've learned to accept my mental health
condition and turn my back to the stigma. NAMI helped show me the way and I'm forever grateful."

-Joe