Mamas vs. Mental Illness
Hendersonville moms unite. This month, they’re hosting the award-winning author of Crazy.
by Beth Ellen . photo by Matt Rose
In 2008, Adrienne Brady, 63, had a startling thought: “If only I had known about this 15 years earlier, I truly believe that my son...would not be living on the streets.” Brady had just attended her first meeting of a Hendersonville chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Her whip-smart son James was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 26. He started struggling in college and then dropped out, telling his family he was going hiking. After the trip, he lost touch for years. At one time, he reappeared and was treated in a psychiatric ward, but then started wandering again. His mother now believes he is somewhere on the West Coast.
Unfortunately, her story is common. Thousands of mentally ill people end up living on the streets or in prison every year. According to a recent Department of Justice report, North Carolina gets a dismal “D” grade when it comes to taking care of its mentally ill, with 1,000 adults and 800 mentally ill children inappropriately charged with crimes when they should simply be diagnosed with illnesses. “Mental illness needs to be brought out of the closet,” Brady says.
Several other Hendersonville moms struggled with similar problems. Brady teamed up with them and now leads a 60-member group, NAMI Four Seasons, as a board member and volunteer educator. The nonprofit teaches classes and offers resources to the families and friends of mentally ill people. This month, NAMI Four Seasons hosts Pete Earley, author of “Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness,” at a fundraiser at Blue Ridge Community College. Earley, a former Washington Post reporter, will discuss his book (a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize) and his experience with his son’s schizophrenia. “I wrote this book as a wake-up call,” Earley writes on his blog. “(People) with mental illness are ending up behind bars when what they need is help, not punishment.”
Proceeds from the event go towards Crisis Intervention Training for WNC police officers. According to Brady, the training helps police defuse incidents when they encounter mentally ill people. “It’s our first line of jail diversion,” she says.
Pete Earley speaks October 8 at Blue Ridge Community College. $10. For info and tickets, go to www.namifourseasons.org or call 888-955-6264.
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Reader Comments (1)
I should know…our family has been greatly impacted by the devastating symptoms of mental illness. But just as cruel as the horrendous symptoms of the disease are society’s lack of understanding, lack of compassion and overwhelming indifference. Our loved ones have been labeled by society yet our loved ones are NOT their illness no more than any other person suffering a medical condition is reduced to being nothing but their diagnosis.
My personal experiences have led me to advocate for individuals living with neurological symptoms affecting cognition and emotions (a more accurate description and one I prefer over ‘mental illness’ due to the misconstrued notions the label has in our country). I am compelled to champion the ugly truths and ‘insanity’ of the mental health care system, the justice system and society’s indifference. I am proud to say you and others nurtured me to this place of understanding and I thank you!