Dear editor,

Oct. 2-8 was Mental Illness Awareness Week, a time to come together to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for equal care.

Mental illness is a medical condition, but it is often surrounded by stigma or stereotypes that prevent people from getting the help they need. One in five adults experiences a mental illness in any given year. Approximately half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by the age of 14. Unfortunately, long delays — sometimes decades — often occur between the time symptoms first appear and when people get help. Early identification and treatment is important.

Join NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) in shining a light on mental illness and replacing stigma with hope by taking the #Stigmafreepledge at www.nami.org/stigmafree. NAMI offers information at nami.org and through our HelpLine 1-800-950-NAMI (6264). With affiliates in hundreds of communities nationwide, NAMI also offers free education classes and support groups.

Our local NAMI Winchester/Clark County (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Support group meets the 1stand 3rdMonday of each month at 7 p.m. in McCready Hall, Emmanuel EpiscopalChurch, 2410 Lexington Rd.  Anyone (including family members and friends) affected by mental illness is invited to attend meetings. For more info, call 749-3702

Take the StigmaFree Pledge to help yourself, your family, your friends and your community.

Sincerely,

Martha Brown

Clark County