Comments about ‘Navigating mental illness — Programs help young adults gain life skills’

Really great article! How inspiring that these kids are able to overcome such serious mental illness and get independent and confident about life. May they and their fellow group members go on to succeed in life.

People with Mental Illness need love also.

My 19 year Old Daughter, my youngest Daughter works for a non Profit that deals with issues like this.

In High School she was a Volunteer for 3 years. When a job came open they Net Worked Her in.

She has spoken before Committees at the State Capitol and at conferences, and conventions, She talks to adults and adults sometimes listen.

Part of the Confidence to speak in public, came from giving talks in Church and Youth Camp at BYUH.

The rest came from being Daddies and Mommies Girl. She has had her own issues with depression.

These are tough issues and cannot be swept under the rug. A person with a Mental Illness has all the problems people without mental Illness have plus some.

Then you have to add sometimes judgmental people.

However they have lives and the normal range of emotions. Not always the Normal Range of Defense. This is where Family and Protective Care Givers come in.

Mods: You dropped the T Word Topic, Not Surprised. But that is one of the problems people not talking about it.

The same with Mental Illness, very large rug, many lumps.

I am the oldest in my family. Years ago I joined the army for 3 years. When I got back to my parents home, my brother was of the age by then he should have been doing something with his life, either going to school, or working, but he was just staying home doing nothing.

I advised him to do something with his life, that he was getting into a rut of just doing nothing. He explained to me he had plenty of time to accomplish things in his life, he didn't need to act then. Back then I sensed if he didn't act now, it would get harder and harder to act later.

It is now 20 years later, my brother is 40, he lives with my dad, and has never been out on his own. My parents have tried to kick him out, to force him to get a job and be on his own, but always let him back in, because they are afraid he will die (in the winter) if they don't.

No amount of talking helps, He refuses to be evaluated by a doctor or take meds, we think he is ill.

yet mental illness resources are still the most under funded programs out there. Society tend to think that people can just snap out of it and be alright.

My heart goes out to these people and I'm glad to see that these teens are getting involved in a worth while program like this...

I knew one of these people in the story many years ago. I'm glad to see that help came their way and that they are functioning now.