Taking on Mental Illness Takes Allies (Not Just Governments)
Excerpt from "Board President Remarks"
National Alliance on Mental Illness Jacksonville Annual Meeting
Vance Meyer, Board President
Since I became a volunteer in mental health almost 10 years ago, I, like many of you, have personally agonized over the bigger “system” problems relating to mental illness in our country. Like, who is going to deal with the epidemic and the far-reaching consequences?
These big questions become very personal to people like us. In fact, I'll admit to having become slightly symptomatic at times over the fact that we don’t seem to be able to produce government solutions without aligning at least 50 million good people who live with mental illness, with a handful of bad people who commit heinous crimes. (50 million is just the adults.)
But this year, after working more closely with (Executive Director) Suzanne Mailloux and all of you, I am relieved and energized to tell you that I have learned to stop looking to others for the answer – including the government on its own. The answer is that WE own the problem. WE are in the best position to take it on. And we ARE taking it on.
I might have formed this view sooner if I had stopped to think about why the founders of NAMI chose to call us the National Alliance on Mental Illness and not an association or something else. Being allied implies that we are standing shoulder to shoulder in a common mission, just like my father did with our allies in World War II. You and I are allied in the fight to bring relief, recovery and acceptance to our brothers and sisters who live with mental illness – regardless of who they are or what they believe. In fact, the only prerequisite to become part of our alliance is that you need help, want to help, or both. They’re equally important in our alliance.
So here's what that really means.
A teenager who is buckling under anxiety or struggling to do basic things to take care of herself is part of our alliance.
Somebody who needs to tell somebody else about the voices in his head without being judged or feared is part of our alliance.
These big questions become very personal to people like us. In fact, I'll admit to having become slightly symptomatic at times over the fact that we don’t seem to be able to produce government solutions without aligning at least 50 million good people who live with mental illness, with a handful of bad people who commit heinous crimes. (50 million is just the adults.)
But this year, after working more closely with (Executive Director) Suzanne Mailloux and all of you, I am relieved and energized to tell you that I have learned to stop looking to others for the answer – including the government on its own. The answer is that WE own the problem. WE are in the best position to take it on. And we ARE taking it on.
I might have formed this view sooner if I had stopped to think about why the founders of NAMI chose to call us the National Alliance on Mental Illness and not an association or something else. Being allied implies that we are standing shoulder to shoulder in a common mission, just like my father did with our allies in World War II. You and I are allied in the fight to bring relief, recovery and acceptance to our brothers and sisters who live with mental illness – regardless of who they are or what they believe. In fact, the only prerequisite to become part of our alliance is that you need help, want to help, or both. They’re equally important in our alliance.
So here's what that really means.
A teenager who is buckling under anxiety or struggling to do basic things to take care of herself is part of our alliance.
Somebody who needs to tell somebody else about the voices in his head without being judged or feared is part of our alliance.
A mom, a dad, a spouse, a sibling, or any loved one who doesn’t know where to turn and is beginning to feel their own mental anguish -- They can turn to us and are part of our alliance.
A person who has been through hell with mental illness and wants to be sure others don’t go through it alone – They are just like me, and they’re part of our alliance. We’ll even train them to be a more helpful friend and forceful advocate.
Mental-health professionals who want to do more than see patients can multiply their impact in our alliance like many of their peers are already doing.
A business leader, a lawyer, an administrative assistant, a process expert, police officer, or factory worker. Our alliance needs their skills and perspectives.
Schools, communities of faith, businesses, service organizations, inclusion groups -- They're part of our alliance when they take actions like hosting support groups or talking about mental health just like cancer or heart disease.
Individuals or organizations that feel blessed financially and want to share what they have in a way that has impact -- They are part of our alliance and are right here in this room tonight.
Government officials who realize they need more than a superficial understanding of our far-reaching and interconnected issues -- They can be part of the alliance, and their efforts will be appreciated by somewhere around 200,000 Jacksonvillians (50 million nationwide) who are eligible to vote.
Any citizen who worries about how suffocating hate and division in our country impact people who process it through the filter of mental fog, confusion and disturbance – They are part of our alliance and can actually do something to help.
Our alliance is not formed by a contract or treaty, but by our love for each other as human beings… by an inner sense that something must be done… and by an inner calling to take ownership for doing it. It means doing it for ourselves, doing it for others, and doing it in a way that elevates everyone in Jacksonville. None of us will fix mental illness. But we are going to make it easier for people to feel better or thrive.
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