“NAMI Kauai has provided me with a group of peers, and friends that relate to my experience. It has allowed me not only to help others in the community, but in the process help me heal. Speaking to students in classrooms about lived experiences has made a dramatic impact on my life. It has given me public speaking confidence, and also has enabled me to move past insecurities I had about sharing my story.”

“Even though my life isn’t where I thought it would be, coming to terms with my bipolar disorder was a major accomplishment. Don’t get me wrong—I still have my ups and downs and I still have a lot of symptoms that are very difficult to manage. NAMI is such an amazing organization with everything they do and I want to thank NAMI for always providing services and educational material to better help understand and deal with bipolar disorder.”

“If you’re looking for a way to improve your mental health, the best thing you can do is get involved in an organization like NAMI Kauai. I fully came out about my mental health condition. I wasn’t afraid to talk about it. In fact, I wanted to share it with others to educate them. I am no longer afraid of being stigmatized or judged for my illness.”

“As part of my recovery, I learned as much as I could about schizophrenia, which further deepened my compassion for those with mental health conditions and their loved ones. I now speak about the resources available from NAMI at a local hospital and teach the NAMI Family-to-Family class. My goal is to use who I am and my story to ease the journey of others and leave this world a slightly better place. Partnering with NAMI, we can and we will.”