October's Mental Health Awareness Activities

October is a busy month in the field of mental health. October 4-10 is Mental Illness Awareness Week which means a variety of activities nationwide, many of them sponsored by NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It is also the week of National Depression Screening Day on October 8, sponsored by Screening for Mental Health.
The NAMI-sponsored events include their fundraising NAMIWALKS in cities throughout the country. Some NAMI chapters such as Orange County, CA, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Utah, Montana, and Brown County, WI got their walks off to an early start on September 26. The vast majority are held October 3-10. NAMI publishes a complete list of Walks here.
Meanwhile, on National Depression Screening Day, members of the public can attend an event, get information on disorders such as depressin, anxiety and PTSD, and take a free assessment for depression, speak with a mental health professional and obtain referrals. For a screening site near you, visit Screening for Mental Heath's site listing.Sphere: Related Content
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A beautiful mind in Bakersfield

Finding good news about mental health can be positively daunting these days, so thank goodness for Ashley Nommensen, a Bakersfield, California high school senior who is making an impact beyond her years.
According to a December 12 post from columnist Marylee Shrider on Bakersfield.com, this brave young woman helped create a first-of-its-kind peer support group for teens and young adults experiencing mental illness. It is labor of love, borne of her own psychological struggles dating back to a bipolar-induced psychotic break at the age of 13.
Her group's moniker, Outspoken Young Minds, is certainly appropriate for Ashley, who has been traveling to tell her own story to gatherings of school counselors and community organizations. In July, she'll say even more at the 2009 NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) National Convention when she appears there with her mother and Russ Sempell, president of the Kern County NAMI chapter, which has partnered with Ashley on this project.
Ashley's commitment to spreading the word that "normal is just a cycle on the washing machine" is a commendable breath of fresh air.Sphere: Related Content
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