Lisa's Reason for Walking

Lisa e-mailed us today to tell us that she'll be walking on Saturday. Here's what she had to say:

My Name is Lisa. I’m participating in the NAMI 2014 walk in Salt Lake City UT. I’m doing this walk in honor of myself. I have Bipolar. I take a mood stabilizer everyday to help me with the highs and lows of this disorder. It’s amazing just how much of my life Bipolar effects. I’m still the amazing woman I've always been. A caring mother, sister, daughter and friend. But I have my manic days and I have my depressed days. Some days I want to be everywhere doing everything and some days I want to sit alone in my room all day. I do talk speak publicly about Bipolar. I’m not ashamed to have this disorder. Why should we be? If anything we are true warriors of hope and life and love. To live each day sometimes not knowing when the feeling ….the high or the low is going to come back because you know it always does. I always do my best to keep a positive attitude about my disorder. I take great pride in being able to participate in somethi
ng as big as reaching out and helping others that live/suffer from a mental illness.

Join us this Saturday for the NAMIWalk! Registration is free: www.namiwalks.org/utah

Alissa's Story

This is a story of recovery from a woman named Alissa who took the NAMI Utah BRIDGES class (a free 12-week education class for individuals living with mental illness). As of this weekend, she is now a certified BRIDGES teacher!! Congratulations Alissa and thank you for sharing your story and teaching others that, "recovery is worth fighting for."

“My recovery is an ongoing project, as I imagine it always will be. That being said, I am healthier today, both physically and mentally, than I have been in over a decade. I have been in what one would call “recovery” for about 6 years now. I take my meds every day, and I follow a strict and healthy diet (low sugars, no caffeine or alcohol). I have even been able to hold down jobs (which is a big deal for me). My outlook on life has changed dramatically over the years. I live my life striving for positivity and optimism each day. Still, I do have a brain disorder, and I understand that it takes a daily effort to monitor myself and keep myself healthy. I have a great “med-manager”, an APRN who keeps an eye on me and works with me to help me feel as balanced as possible. I am very lucky to be where I am today. I know that I could have slipped through the cracks and become a statistic very easily. Without a strong support system of family, friends and medical professionals, I can say I probably would not be the happy and healthy person I am today. I know that I will never be “cured” of my brain disorder, but I have stopped wishing for a cure. I see my “illness” as a blessing. It has given me insight into so many things. Having a chronic illness has given me a level of empathy for others I couldn’t have gained any other way. Most importantly, being diagnosed with Bipolar II has given me something I never knew I had; the spirit of a fighter. I have had to fight to find my recovery. I want to show others that they have that spirit in them as well. Recovery is worth fighting for. It can take years, but ultimately it is so worth it. I am proof.”

For a schedule of FREE classes and support groups in your area click HERE.  

Alissa at the Eiffel Tower. The trip, she says, wouldn't have been possible before her recovery.