NAMI Southern Oregon hosts mental health awareness event
MEDFORD, Ore. — Local organizations and community members gathered at Hawthorne Park in Medford Sunday afternoon to raise awareness for mental health care.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) hosted its annual NAMIWalks fundraiser. In addition to being NAMI’s largest annual awareness and fundraiser, this event is also an opportunity to educate the community about mental illness.
“Recovery is possible,” said Andra Hollenbeck, a member of NAMI Southern Oregon’s leadership team. “If you are struggling with your mental health, please seek help.”
According to NAMI, more than 50% of U.S. adults who deal with substance abuse also deal with mental illness. When it comes to young people, NAMI reports that 1 in 10 young people’s girlfriends experience significant menstrual depression.
Asking for help can be a difficult first step for people, Hollenbeck said.
“Our society has instilled many negative stereotypes about them, and no one wants to be seen as ‘crazy,'” she says. “A lot of times people think, ‘Oh, I can handle this on my own. It’s okay, I’ll handle it.’ In some cases, those situations can become unbearable.”
NAMI Southern Oregon is a volunteer-based organization. Hollenbeck got involved after she started looking for mental health resources after her family had struggled with serious mental health conditions.
Hollenbeck told NewsWatch 12 he knows how difficult it is to deal with such situations.
“It’s a bit like a rockslide,” she said. “It just comes out of nowhere and you have so much to deal with and you don’t know how to deal with it.”
If you would like to volunteer or learn more about NAMI, click here.
If you or a loved one is struggling with their mental health, call or text 988 for 24/7 support.
Makenna Marks is a reporter/producer for NewsWatch 12. Makenna can be reached at mmarks@kdrv.com.
