Equipping Families

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Submitted by Nenette Rogers

Nenette Rogers is the Executive Director for NAMI Fairbanks.

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Family | Recovery

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Published April 23, 2022

Tried to Help But Couldn’t?

If you’ve ever answered your phone and heard the panicked voice of your son or daughter on the other end saying that they are dying, or someone is trying to hurt them, you know the fear and feeling of helplessness that grips a parent’s heart during a time like this. How many times I have answered the phone at NAMI to hear a panicked parent, desperate to have a solution that will help their son or daughter climb out of this darkness?

Often the parent or friend is at their wits end, having tried everything they could think of, but the situation remained unchanged. If this describes you, I want you to know one thing: You Are Not Alone!

The first time I went down this road with my family member, I had NO IDEA that there was an army of people who had already traveled before me. Because of their experiences and the results of their advocacy, there was a system of help in place for my family member, here, in Fairbanks, Alaska!

Know What to Do

NAMI Fairbanks has a long, 39-year legacy of paving the way for families and individuals who experience mental illness in the Interior. Our goal to equip families, friends, coworkers, and neighbors to know how to help someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis. Similar to knowing how to perform CPR in an emergency situation, we should all strive to know how to identify when someone is in mental distress and who to call for help.

What’s the Big Deal?

Approximately 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year. It affects all of us, whether at our workplace, school, or place of worship. We know someone who is silently struggling, afraid to ask for help because of the deep stigma associated with mental illness. It is time to band together, show the true heart of Fairbanks, and Stand Together for Mental Health. Let us uphold one another. Do not let our brother fall. Only when we look after each other, with concern and compassion, can we be strong as a community!

Is Change Really Possible?

Thanks to the many voices of NAMI advocacy and the collaborative efforts of our caring community, there is a system of mental health crisis response that is being implemented in Fairbanks. When you become a member of NAMI Fairbanks, you join your voice with others who are moving hearts and minds to create policy changes that improve the lives of people affected by mental health conditions.

Become a member of NAMI Fairbanks. Arm yourself with knowledge and educate yourself about mental illness. Refuse to look away. Lock arms together in solidarity to break down the walls of stigma. Lift each other up and make Hope and Recovery attainable for all of Fairbanks and the Interior.