By Jerry Fulenwider
For Today’s Catholic
SAN ANTONIO • In 1990, the U.S. Congress established the first week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) and Bipolar Disorder Awareness Day, held the Thursday of that same week. This year the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will observe MIAW Oct. 5 to 11.
Startling research tells us that an estimated 26.2 percent of Americans age 18 and older — about one in four adults — have a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 2004 US Census, this figure translates to 57.7 million people. And this number does not include children or youth under the age of 18.
Those who are affected are people all around us — faces we see as we go about our daily lives — faces of family members, friends, co-workers and even strangers on the street.
In the World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease Study of 1996, they ranked the 10 leading causes of disability worldwide, which included four serious mental illnesses ranked as follows: (1) unipolar major depression, (5) schizophrenia, (6) bipolar disorder, and (9) obsessive compulsive disorder.
Only about half the people with mental illness get treated. Of this number 80 percent respond very well.
Family members with relatives who have mental illness, who are caregivers, or who just wish to learn more about available resources are encouraged to join the NAMI San Antonio (NAMI-SA) affiliate.
General membership meetings are open to the public and held on the second Tuesday of each month at Christ Episcopal Church, 510 Belknap Place, in the parish hall. A light meal is served at 6:30 p.m. with the program at 7 p.m.
Through its faith-based initiative program, NAMI-SA has been working with churches to develop support groups for people living with mental illness.
The following parishes already have established support groups:
Holy Rosary Church
159 Camino Santa Maria
Contact: Teresa Barajas
(210) 434-9216
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Helotes
13715 Riggs Rd.
Contact: Bob Price
(210) 375-5988
St. Anthony de Padua Church, 102 Lorenz
Contact: Homer Arias
arias@chcs.hhscn.org;
Jane Briggs (210) 691-9695, jebriggsmba@yahoo.com
St. Mark the Evangelist Church, 1602 Thousand Oaks
Contact: Mary Baird
(210) 599-7465 or e-mail
marybaird@sbcglobal.net
St. Stephen Church
2127 S. Zarzamora
Contact after 6 p.m.:
Mary May, (210) 224-1420
St. Benedict Church
4535 Lord Road
Contact between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.: Maria de la Garza
(210) 224-2351 or e-mail
mdelagarza2007@hotmail.com
The following parishes hope to start groups:
St. Brigid Church
6907 Kitchener, San Antonio
Contact: Carmen Ortiz
(210) 521-9161
St. Paul Church
350 Sutton
Contact: Catherine Tomacelli (210) 435-8867
Señyor Santo Niño de Cebú Church
5655 Rigsby Ave
Contact: Valerie Salazar
(210) 262-8448
For more information about resources on mental health in San Antonio, see their Web site, www.nami-sat.org or call (210) 734-3349 or e-mail namisat@aol.com.
To register for the 2008 NAMI Texas annual conference to be held Oct. 17-19 in San Antonio, see the Web site at www.namitexas.org.
Jerry Fulenwider is a member and advocate for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), San Antonio and serves as a coordinator of faith-based initiative for the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. He has 27 years experience with a mentally ill family member.