STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 In a small room at the Joan and Alan Bernikow JCC in Sea View, a family in crisis gathers on a recent Wednesday morning, sharing, caring and crying.<\/p>\n
The members aren\u2019t technically a family; they don\u2019t share genetics or surnames.<\/p>\n
But they share a deep connection \u2014 the pain and helplessness only someone who loves a person with mental illness can truly understand.<\/p>\n
So between the frustrations, disappointments and anger revealed at each 11 a.m. meeting, there are hugs, advice and reassurances that nobody is in this alone. <\/p>\n
That\u2019s what makes the members of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Staten Island Family Support Group<\/a> a special kind of family, participants, who asked for anonymity, explained.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re talking to people who are walking the walk,\u2019’ said Lyn Ferrante, executive director of NAMI Staten Island, before a recent session began.<\/p>\n NAMI<\/a> Staten Island is the local affiliate of the nation\u2019s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. It also offers free support for those with mental illness and chronic pain, and hosts a speaker series featuring experts in related specialties. <\/p>\n With more than one in five<\/a> U.S. adults experiencing mental illness each year, according to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, and more than one in seven U.S. youth ages 6 to 17 experiencing a mental health disorder each year, according to Journal of the American Medical Association, the feelings expressed in the meeting are not uncommon.<\/p>\n On this particular Wednesday, under the supervision of Marlaine Goldberg and Rod Schneider, one member shared through tears the frustration of caring for her lonely and angry teen daughter. The girl has Tourette Syndrome, which has triggered obsessive-compulsive disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and anxiety, according to the mother.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery night in my house is another episode,\u2019’ she said, explaining the pain it has caused other family members. \u201dIt is destroying my family.” <\/p>\n Another participant said her husband has bipolar disorder and struggles with alcoholism.<\/p>\n And yet another cried over her grown son, who she said refuses to see a caseworker or accept professional help.<\/p>\n This situation creates both a financial and emotional burden on the mother, who said she aches for a better life for both of them. \u201cMy son lives in squalor,\u201d she said with exasperation. \u201cI want so much more for him. How do I get him to do these things?\u201d <\/p>\n In the end, each person at the meeting has to prioritize problems and tackle them one at a time, Ferrante said to one group member, explaining that the approach applies to all.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not going to cure our loved ones, but we will learn to make life a lot better,\u2019’ said Ferrante. \u201dYou can have a full life.\u201d<\/p>\n The goal is to spread understanding through the education sessions, leading to better relationships with children and adult family members after their diagnosis.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I\u2019d joined NAMI when he was 15,\u2019’ the heartbroken mom of the grown son lamented, blaming herself for missing the yellow flags that should have been red ones. \u201dMaybe I could have helped him more. I\u2019m so angry and resentful and sad.”<\/p>\n Emotions ran high at the recent meeting, as others listened to excruciating tales, offering their own advice, as did the group moderators, who have been there themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a different diagnosis in my house, but when I talk to you, I know you understand,\u2019’ said Goldberg, explaining to a new member the value of listening to others\u2019 stories. <\/p>\n \u201dEverybody has something different going on, but though it\u2019s different, it\u2019s still the same\u201a\u2019\u2019 another group member chimed in, trying to explain to a member that she understands.<\/p>\n Caregiving for another with a mental health condition in the United States is not uncommon, with at least 8.4 million<\/a> people in the country providing care to an adult with a mental or emotional health issue, according to NAMI.<\/a><\/p>\n And the symptoms of mental illness evolve and change, Ferrante said to the group, explaining the value of listening to others\u2019 experiences and solutions.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though it may not be me today, it might be me tomorrow,\u2019’ she said.<\/p>\n The group, which also meets on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, is designed specifically for those trying to help another with mental illness. Other NAMI groups focus on the mental illness patient, or offer expert speakers on a variety of related subjects.<\/p>\n Before Wednesday\u2019s meeting, Ferrante explained that situations people face at home are all they can think and talk about.<\/p>\n The group of empathetic ears changes that, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn NAMI, there is no judgment,\u2019’ Ferrante said. \u201dIn the beginning, you are talking to everyone, seeking advice from everyone. Once you have that freedom (NAMI) it gives you a chance to go to a birthday party and not talk about mental health.”<\/p>\n The Family Support Group also meets every Tuesday, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Holy Rosary Parish Center, 85 Jerome Ave., South Beach, and every Wednesday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Staten Island JCC, 1466 Victory Blvd., Sunnyside.<\/p>\n Other services<\/p>\n Some of the other free services offered by NAMI Staten Island include:<\/p>\n Teen and Young Adult Helpline: Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. It offers free young adult peer support. Reach it by texting 62640, calling 1-800-950-NAMI or chat with a specialist at NAMI.org\/talkouts. <\/p>\n Peer Connections Support Group: Created for individuals living with mental health conditions. It meets on the first and third Monday of each month at the Cespino-Russo American Legion Post, 200 McClean Ave., South Beach. No registration is required.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s Talk: Everyday Struggles, Chronic Pain and Mental Health Pain: Meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Cespino-Russo American Legion Post, 200 McClean Ave., South Beach<\/p>\n Basic Education Course: The six-week course provides the information, insight, understanding and empowerment that families need to deal with in mental illness with their children.<\/p>\n Helpline: 718-477-1700<\/p>\n Community Education Night: Second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the SIPPP Auditorium of Richmond University Medical Center, 355 Bard Ave., West Brighton.<\/p>\n To participate, visit the NAMI Staten Island website at NAMIstatenisland.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 In a small room at the Joan and Alan Bernikow JCC in Sea View,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":159885,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[163,85,46,522,523],"class_list":{"0":"post-159884","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-israel","11":"tag-mental-health","12":"tag-mentalhealth"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159884\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}