Alternative Mental Health News- Article: Article: A Special Story of Recovery

[Guest guest]

Article: A Special Story of RecoveryindexThe following was read at Safe

Harbor's Third Annual Awards Benefit. The author was originally scheduled to

speak at the event, but for reasons that she explains, she could not attend.

To all guests at Safe Harbor's 3rd Annual Awards Benefit:

I am sorry I was unable to present our story in person tonight. Due to my

husband's recovery, we are on our way to a new life. We should be in Tennessee

by now. For a recap of events, here goes:

September, 1998, was the beginning of my personal experience dealing with

" mental illness. " I noticed my husband's behavior had changed dramatically and

called both a psychiatrist and psychologist to schedule appointments for him.

The result of these doctor visits was my husband being placed in a mental

hospital due to being suicidal. I thought once he was treated at the hospital

and rested at home for a while, he would return to work. Obviously, I was

totally clueless and had no idea what I was in store for.

I joined NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) and, soon after, took

their 12-week free educational course called NAMI Family-to-Family class. This

course was a godsend. As a result of this class, I knew what I was dealing with

and had the tools to advocate for my husband's care.

In the first year of my husband's illness, he was hospitalized 5 times. After

taking the NAMI Family-to-Family class, he has not been hospitalized since.

However, I have concluded after 4 years of teaching the NAMI Family-to-Family

class, plus being a facilitator of support groups as well as attending NAMI

conventions, that medications and therapy did not work for that many

individuals.

Most of those who were ill were excessively overweight and slept all day. Life

was basically watching TV and smoking cigarettes and going in and out of mental

hospitals.

A couple of years ago, I was introduced to a line of nutrition products. My

husband and I attended a seminar called " Day With The Doctors. " Once my husband

heard from a doctor's mouth what Prozac does to individuals, he immediately quit

taking the drug.

Through the same nutrition company, we ran into a naturopathic physician, a

doctor who uses natural approaches. That is when I started learning about the

benefits of proper nutrition. I got on the Internet and that is when I first

heard of Safe Harbor.

After reading the testimonials, it gave me hope for my husband. He was so ill

that it had gotten to the point where I didn't know who this person was anymore.

After attending Dan's first Award Benefit, I started contacting Dan to get

speakers to our affiliate (NAMI-Chino Hills) to help our members as well as

myself. The end result was the formation of a NAMI group interested in natural

treatments for mental illness.

I am pleased to say after 2 years of trying different types of nutrients and

treatments, my husband no longer hears voices and his depression is gone. It is

beyond words what this has meant to me as well as my husband.

My dream is to make it common knowledge to all that these illnesses can be

helped tremendously by proper nutrition, treatment and testing. It breaks my

heart that so many lives are being ruined because of the stubbornness of those

in charge not to even offer the option of alternative methods of treatment.

I want to thank Safe Harbor for all their hard work in getting this vital

information out for all to see.

Pamela Greider

Past President

NAMI-Chino Hills

 

 

 

 

 

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