EDMOND — Hope is essential for humanity. Whether fighting cancer or mental illness, hope can be the deciding factor, a mental health professional said.

J. David Gordon, executive director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness chapter in Oklahoma, said one of the key elements of its advocacy is to address both the stigma of mental illness and suicide prevention.

“People with mental illness often feel very alone because of the possible reactions they will get from others including loved ones,” Gordon said. “If we can teach others that mental illnesses are brain disorders and that treatment works, we hope that people will seek and get the help they need.”

Oct. 7-13 is national Mental Illness Awareness Week. NAMI will focus its efforts during the week in Edmond, where many members of the local community have been touched by suicide in one way or another this year. Suicide has claimed lives in every age group from teens to age 60-plus.

From 7-8:30 p.m. Oct. 7 in Hafer Park, located at Ninth and Bryant, NAMI will begin the week by sponsoring a candlelight vigil to raise awareness, reduce stigma and provide hope for those affected by serious mental illness.

Gordon said recognition and honor will be given to the families and friends who have been deeply affected and changed by the effects of mental illness on their lives.

The memory of those who have lost their lives to mental illness will be honored, Gordon said. Through the vigil, NAMI will show that treatment works and that there is hope for recovery, he said.

Speakers will include Edmond Public Schools product Terri White, commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Music will be provided by the University of Central Oklahoma’s Boulevard Brass Quintet, Moe Williams, Miss Brown to You and Shealynn Morefield, Miss United States All World Beauties Miss America 2012.

Additional events during the week will include:

• Showings of “OC87” at 5:30 p.m Friday and 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Oklahoma Museum of Art, 415 Couch Dr., Oklahoma City. The documentary was made by a filmmaker who had a breakdown and lived in a therapeutic community for eight years. It is a personal story of pain and vulnerability, empowerment and the quest for belonging.

• Interfaith Day of Prayer from 9-11 a.m. Oct. 9 at the state Capitol. Attendance is free. No reservation required.

• NAMI Champions for Change Luncheon will be Oct. 11 at The Greens Country Club in Oklahoma City. Call NAMI Oklahoma’s office at 230-1900 for details and reservations. The event recognizes community leaders who have made a significant difference in the lives of Oklahomans living with mental illness. Honorees will be Dr. R. Murali Krishna, president, COO and medical director of INTEGRIS Mental Health, John Kennedy, a passionate and generous supporter of NAMIWalks, and Carol and Jim Hetherington, founding members of NAMI OKC Metro and lifelong mental health advocates.

• “Ask the Doctor” from 2-3:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at St. Anthony Behavioral Medicine’s RAPP Center. Attendance is free. No reservation required.

NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, supports and research, said Eileen Morefield, president of NAMI’s Edmond-North Oklahoma City affiliate. Morefield said most people with mental illness don’t want to die.

“They want the pain to stop,” she said.

All age groups and all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups can experience depression, according to NAMI. Unchecked clinical depression can lead to suicide.

Suicide risk factors include mental illness, substance abuse (alcohol reduces inhibitions, increasing the risk), recent loss, societal/peer rejection and depression, according to HeartLine, which answers the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7, 365 days a year. Warning signs include talking or joking about death, giving away prized possessions, significant change in behavior, increased alcohol or drug use, withdrawing from friends and family, lack of interest in regular activities, discussing a suicide plan and increased hostility and aggression.

For the latest information on mental illnesses, medication and treatment visit www.nami.org. The development during the past 25 years of antidepressants and mood-stabilizing drugs has improved treatment of clinical depression, particularly for those with more serious or recurrent forms of the disorder.

Local resources include the 211 resource number, the Student Counseling Center at UCO, Edmond Family Counseling, 1251 N. Broadway, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255). For a wellness check, call 911.



marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 108