A Project Semicolon Publication
By Caitlyn Jennings
Joining my first NAMI Montgomery County Maryland support group was probably the single best decision I made in my recovery journey from bipolar II disorder. These support groups are specifically for adults living with a mental health condition, but NAMI also offers support groups for families and loved ones.
While I have an amazing treatment team–a therapist who is also an M.D. and a wonderful psychiatrist who actually listens–peer support has played an incredibly powerful role in healing my bipolar II. If you are thinking of joining a support group yourself, here are ten lessons that I have learned by attending NAMI Connection Recovery groups. I hope this inspires you to give support groups a try!
Lesson One: sharing my story helps me heal.
When I first joined NAMI groups, I started off by listening to other people share their mental illness stories. While this helped immensely, I gained even more knowledge and support from NAMI groups when I began to share my own.
Lesson Two: sharing my story is scary, but worth it.
The first time I admitted I have bipolar II on a NAMI call, my voice shook and I was very, very nervous. But the relief I felt after knowing that I was seen and heard was well worth the anxiety I felt in the beginning.
Lesson Three: I don’t always have to be at my best.
I used to think that, in order to attend a NAMI group, I had to come as my best self, but that simply isn’t true! As one of my NAMI mentors likes to say, showing up and doing the hard thing is half the battle.
Lesson Four: other people are going through it too.
One of the biggest lies my depression tries to tell me is that I’m alone in what I’m feeling. But merely hopping on a NAMI call contradicts that fact right away. And 1 in 5 US adults experiences a mental illness each year, so you are not alone!
Lesson Five: Never judge anyone’s pain as more or less than your own.
Your mental illness experience is unique to you. Don’t feel the need to use anyone else’s story as a measuring stick.
Lesson Six: mental illnesses can be medical illnesses with environmental factors.
There is no one “cause” to mental illness, and for certain people, mental illnesses originate from medical causes or genetics. For others, the environment plays a larger role. Everyone has a different mental illness origin, and this is more than okay.
Lesson Seven: recovery isn’t linear.
There are different stages of recovery and recovery does NOT happen in a straight line. It is possible and probable to have good days followed by not so good days and vice versa. Taking away the pressure to recover on a timeline really helped me.
Lesson Eight: having a support system is so very important.
I am lucky to have an incredible mother as my main source of support. I know that for some, NAMI groups fill that void. Having a support system, no matter how big or how small, is vital in mental health recovery.
Lesson Nine: find your mentors and learn from them.
Even though everyone’s journey is different, you’re bound to find people who share your diagnosis or trajectory in some way. Feel free to ask them questions and learn from them!
Lesson Ten: never give up hope.
My local NAMI’s guiding principle is to never give up hope. Even in the darkest of times, hope can be found if you keep an open mind and heart.
This is far from everything that I’ve learned during my time as a NAMI Connection Recovery support group participant. Support groups provide me with yet another tool that I can use in my own bipolar II recovery journey. If they are not already in your toolbox, consider widening your support circle through the use of peer support!
Finding Hope 