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NAMI offers free course for family members of individuals with mental illnesses

By Staff Writer

Parents of teens who suffer from a mental illness may be at risk for developing health problems as a result of caring for a disabled child. However, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is offering a free 12-week course for family members and partners of those who have been diagnosed with serious mental illnesses, Peninsula Daily News reports.

Applicants of the program are pre-screened for eligibility. According to Barbara Walker, facilitator of the program, participants will receive several hundred pages of course materials.

Topics covered in the classes include major depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, borderline personality disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, co-occurring brain disorder and addictive disorders, according to the news source.

Judy Tough, a former class facilitator, told the media outlet that many mental health sufferers refuse medical treatment, which can cause stress to family members.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, just over 20 percent of children, either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental disorder.

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