Walking for NAMI this weekend
Did anyone see the episode on Schizophrenia this week on Oprah? It was about a schizophrenic seven year old and how her parents deal with her disorder. It was so hard to watch. I feel for her parents and for her. Life is not easy for a mental patient of any age, but especially for children.
It reminded me of why I'm walking for NAMI this weekend. I'm walking in the hopes that NAMI will use the donated money to better help people with mental illnesses. I'm walking because I want there to be a cure. I'm walking for those who can't help themselves and who end up in mental hospitals without an end in sight. I often pass by the state cemetery where they bury patients from the state mental hospital. It's so sad that they live their lives with mental illnesses that destroy their brain and then when they die they're alone because their families have forgotten about them.
I walk for myself, too. I walk in the hopes that one day there will be a cure for what I have. I walk because I'm proud that I've come this far. Three years ago I was a bipolar mess and now my medications have leveled me out somewhat. I'm functioning. I might fall now and again, but at least I pick myself up and get going again. And now I'm walking for those that can't get up.
About the Author: Cristina C. Fender, 34, is rapidly becoming an expert on Bipolar Disorder. She has been researching Bipolar Disorder and blogging about her own experiences for several years. At age 21 she was diagnosed with depression and saw psychiatrists for over ten years before she was correctly diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder I. Her vision for writing at Raw Writing for the Real World of Bipolar is to inform and educate the public about mental illness. Feel free to Email Cristina a comment or a question.Click here to Subscribe in a Reader.
© 2009 Cristina C. Fender
