NAMI Seattle Stories

Stories from NAMI Seattle’s participants, leaders, and community members.

Awakening

Awakening

I got as close as I ever would to ending my life when I was 28 years old. My mental health had deteriorated to a point where I felt helpless to find a way out of the darkness of depression and self-loathing I existed in. Instead, I turned to alcohol and other destructive behaviors to cope with my pain and that led me deeper into the morass of hopelessness. I teetered on a precipice, barely clinging to life. And I realized that if things didn’t change, I wasn’t going to make it.

An Interview with Rania Rampersad, King County Superior Court Judge

An Interview with Rania Rampersad, King County Superior Court Judge

By Rhett Whiteman, Kalin Natzev, Faiza Khalif, Ramla Geilani, Ebrima Jammeh, Sophie Udell, University of Washington Bothell School of Business Content warning: The following post contains topics that may be unsettling or triggering, including rape, torture, war...

The Forest and The Trees

The Forest and The Trees

I lay my head back against the upholstered chair and take a deep breath. I don’t quite feel settled, so I wriggle around until I find just the right spot to rest. All the while, I’m listening to the facilitator, her voice soft and low, like a lullaby coaxing me to let go

Work it Out: A Conversation

Work it Out: A Conversation

I’m sitting at a small table across from my personal trainer, Greg Novasky, in an office at the back of the Emerald City Gym in Seattle. I glance around at the coral walls and scribbles on a whiteboard and then I look over at Greg who appears eager to talk about his experience – poised for conversation. He’s leaning forward, with a smile in his blue eyes.

Navigating Through Compassion Fatigue

Navigating Through Compassion Fatigue

My Passion and Compassion Fatigue Becoming a nurse was a dream come true for me because I had always wanted to help people. But a few years into my career, I got burnout due to the increase in demand and workload. Things got worse during COVID. I got irritated easily....

Brother, Brother

Brother, Brother

The clang of the doors closing behind us made me shudder. I suddenly felt the gravity of the loss of one’s freedom. A prison guard, stern and unflinching, ushered us through massive steel doors to security where we relinquished our driver’s licenses through a steel cage barrier.

Finding My Way Home

Finding My Way Home

By: Sharon Nelson It was in my first year of recovery. That was over 30 years ago, but I still remember, oh too well. The moods and feelings I’d once medicated with alcohol, nicotine, and various distractions were there for me to contend with. Unfiltered. Raw. A true...

Bright-Eyed Entertainment on Sharing Joey Wilson’s Story

Bright-Eyed Entertainment on Sharing Joey Wilson’s Story

By: Dee Yeshitla, Evan Cho, Muhammad Abubakar, Moiz Qureshi, Brady Meador, and Isatou Ceesay, The University of Washington Bothell School of Business Photo Left: Felicia Thomas wearing a Black button-up shirt with the Bright-Eyed Entertainment logo in yellow writing....

“Just be honest, don’t hide it, and never give up.”- Joey Wilson

“Just be honest, don’t hide it, and never give up.”- Joey Wilson

By: Dee Yeshitla, Evan Cho, Muhammad Abubakar, Moiz Qureshi, Brady Meador, and Isatou Ceesay, The University of Washington Bothell School of Business From the very first moment Joey’s face showed up on the computer projection screen, before he even murmured a word,...

“Pain into purpose”: An Interview with Representative Lauren Davis

“Pain into purpose”: An Interview with Representative Lauren Davis

Photo courtesy of Shoreline Area News By: Marie Bao, Alec Cheff, Anastasiya Fritch, Siu Yau Lam, Juan Nunez, and Andrew Weiss; UW Bothell School of Business We entered the classroom with our clothing wet with rain. Our objective was to appear competent and assured. We...

Happiness

Happiness

By: Naomi Stenberg My goal for Fall is to stay happy. The other day I sang on a friend’s answering machine. The Fred Roger’s theme song, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.” My friend said, “My God, who are you? Where did Naomi go? You are in such a good mood.” I am in such a...

Electroconvulsive Therapy: “I’m not completely alone.”

Electroconvulsive Therapy: “I’m not completely alone.”

Did you know sometimes medication and therapy aren’t able to relieve symptoms of depression or other mental health conditions? In these situations, there is still hope and other options. Brain stimulation therapies, like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), might be...

Peer Support on Campus: An Interview with Rafi Kakar

Peer Support on Campus: An Interview with Rafi Kakar

Photo Credit: Marc Studer By: Zack Nguyen, Joseph Yuen, Savina Sidhu, Zhiyao Song, University of Washington Bothell School of Business The sun was bright. The class was hot. Light beams from the sun crisscrossed through the sky and penetrated our classroom windows,...

A Glimpse into the Life of a College Dog

A Glimpse into the Life of a College Dog

Photo Caption: Marijke, Pearl (dog), Susie, Dublin (dog), Laurie, and CB (dog) in front of the W at UWB – Picture credit Jerry Liu Accompanied by a handler, the College Dogs stars met stressed UW students with a smile brighter than the summer sun. They told us...

For the Love of Therapy Dogs

For the Love of Therapy Dogs

Photo of Pearl, the Bernese Mountain dog, lying in the classroom waiting for someone to pet her. Photo credit: Shufen Deng  By: Julie Bobko, Shu Fen Deng, Jason Mokan, and Erik Lars Knudsen, UW Bothell School of Business  It was a Monday, but not your usual dreary...

Understanding Trauma: An Interview with Tarra Simmons Part 2

Understanding Trauma: An Interview with Tarra Simmons Part 2

By Ala Iurco Contributors: Greg N Pinget, Evan Samuel Jackson, Anita Yang, Shewit Woldemichael, and Zongyuan Wang, University of Washington Bothell School of Business The cup of coffee I held was shaking while I looked at the interview questions in my hand. I was...

Interview With NAMI Seattle Board Member Allegra Condiotty

Interview With NAMI Seattle Board Member Allegra Condiotty

By Joshua Berry, Ibrahim Mushtaq, Grace Leppert, Lewi Hagos, UW Bothell School of Business Unable to go to class due to the lingering effects of the Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, we gathered around our computer screens to attend class. As we sat there,...

“You’re Not Alone! Finding Comfort in the Uncomfortable.”

“You’re Not Alone! Finding Comfort in the Uncomfortable.”

An Interview with Jo Blue, Health and Wellness Resource Center Manager at the University of Washington Bothell. By Ahmed Ahmed Baba, Gabrielle Alverson, Dulce Barrera, Andrew Denny, and Chris Entrop, University of Washington Bothell School of Business As we were...

Joey Wilson On Why He Supports Proposed Stanwood Psychiatric Facility

Joey Wilson On Why He Supports Proposed Stanwood Psychiatric Facility

This is an open letter submitted for public commentary to Snohomish County on March 21, 2022. To Whom It May Concern: I am writing in support of the psychiatric treatment center getting built north of Stanwood. I hope my personal story will help people better...

NAMI Seattle Board Member Joey Wilson’s Journey With Schizophrenia

NAMI Seattle Board Member Joey Wilson’s Journey With Schizophrenia

By Casey Reynolds, Ryan Parkes, Desmond Hong, Paul Oh, and Kansuke Suzuki, UW Bothell School of Business Though virtual learning and meeting others through a screen often feels less than personal for us, when we logged into Zoom to meet with NAMI Seattle board member...

Lessons from Samantha Wong in Self-Care to Avoid Caregiver Burnout

Lessons from Samantha Wong in Self-Care to Avoid Caregiver Burnout

by Ethan Yamashita, Tatiana Astrahan, Jason Anderson, Jay Heo, and Carman Ho, University of Washington – Bothell School of Business Caregiver burnout is real, and especially relevant during the pandemic’s continual isolation for many. When we met Samantha Wong (Sam),...

Small Drawings High Hopes is Back! Friday, December 10

Small Drawings High Hopes is Back! Friday, December 10

The story of Small Drawings High Hopes is a tumultuous one. It’s a story full of highs and lows, and as its namesake suggests- hopes. It all began mid-2018. My dear friends were set to break ground on the construction of a new independent movie theatre in Indianapolis...

My Experience With Anxiety as a Child

My Experience With Anxiety as a Child

Written By Clara Ward Trigger Warning: panic attacks I am a person with anxiety; almost no one around me experiences the same thing. I can tell you, it’s hard. There is a lot of misinformation and many misconceptions out there about anxiety, a lot of which confused...

The Humanity in Schizophrenia

The Humanity in Schizophrenia

I was scared the first time I met Matthew. It was many years ago, before I knew much about mental health, and before I became a nurse. I was about to meet my boyfriend’s father for the first time, and he had schizophrenia. As for many people, mental health wasn’t...

The Intersection of the School-to-Prison Pipeline and Mental Health

The Intersection of the School-to-Prison Pipeline and Mental Health

By Austin Landas, Eshita Gupta, Alice Luo, Wei Zhang, and Michael Seong Introduction “Struggling in school and not having the resources to stay on track leads students to go on the wrong path. Students become prone to using drugs…. You get labeled a felon and you have...

Meet Emma Sanyal, NAMI Seattle Board Member

Meet Emma Sanyal, NAMI Seattle Board Member

By Kyle Kawahara, Nomin Ulziisaikhan, Netanel Younker, Hanson Tran and Nik Gorbs, UW Bothell School of Business “I think it’s important to know that Bipolar Disorder is physical.  It’s not a weakness and you can’t just pull yourself out of a depression. Patience is...

Introducing Sophie Taylor, NAMI Seattle Board Member

Introducing Sophie Taylor, NAMI Seattle Board Member

Sophie Taylor (Photo credit: Sophie Taylor) By Reagan Kim, Kyra Pennington, Matthew Kolden, Natalia Andrzejowiec, and Arundet Mee, UW Bothell School of Business “Be nice to yourself, if all you can manage to do is take a shower, take a shower, and be proud of...

Meet Penny Carothers, NAMI Seattle Board Member

Meet Penny Carothers, NAMI Seattle Board Member

Penny with her husband and children. Photo credit: Lisa Page By Samuel Burley, Yeraldin Enriquez, Nathan Markley, Roewyn Umayam, and Boyue Xi, UW Bothell School of Business “Anyone can be struck by mental health challenges at any time and they deserve medical...

A Better September: Focusing on Doing Good

A Better September: Focusing on Doing Good

Written By Kim Salada, NAMI Seattle volunteer and trained facilitator. Let’s face it. We are not being inundated with good news these days. Quite the opposite, in fact. Pandemic, injustice, unrest, now fires. The heaviness can be hard to avoid – and I don’t know about...

How Support Groups Helped Me

How Support Groups Helped Me

How Support Groups Helped Me   My depression and anxiety manifested itself before kindergarten. It was clear something was very wrong, so my mother took me to a child psychologist. My inability to make friends and fight depression was obvious. The psychologist...

Small Drawings / High Hopes by Kyle Krauskopf

Small Drawings / High Hopes by Kyle Krauskopf

Several times in my life I have utilized the “look before you leap tactic.” I take risks, they’re calculated risks, but they’re risks nonetheless.  Right out of the gate I moved to a city I couldn’t afford with no job prospects and an art degree. I signed a lease for...

Small Drawings / High Hopes – Emotions 6 & 7 of 7

Small Drawings / High Hopes – Emotions 6 & 7 of 7

Elation and Kismet and The Finale great happiness and exhilaration | destiny; fate   Ifind my greatest joys come from a job well done.  When you can sit back at the end of the day and take pride in the work you accomplished.  That being said, not too long ago I...

Small Drawings / High Hopes – Emotion 5 of 7 Love

Small Drawings / High Hopes – Emotion 5 of 7 Love

Emotion 5 “Run to the rescue with love and peace will follow”  Alyric written by the late River Phoenix as delivered by his brother Joaquin, when accepting his Academy Award for best actor.  As it is one of the biggest and most challenging emotions humans are capable...

Small Drawings / High Hopes – Emotion 4 of 7 Sorrow

Small Drawings / High Hopes – Emotion 4 of 7 Sorrow

Emotion 4 A feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others. Love was meant to be the emotion I dove into after persistence, but this morning I woke to a call from my pre-pandemic employer asking if I could...

Why Nami Seattle

Why Nami Seattle

I had just finished several months of on-line charity auctions for the benefit of multiple endeavors, including NAMI.  I was at a restaurant hanging up some artwork.  The restaurant is called Conscious Eatery and for every meal purchased there, the owners/chefs...

Small Drawings / High Hopes – Emotion 3 of 7 Persistence

Small Drawings / High Hopes – Emotion 3 of 7 Persistence

Emotion 3 Firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. In my previous post, I discussed frustration.  The words for that came pretty easy, likely because most of us are experiencing some form of it at the moment. ...

Small Drawings / High Hopes – Emotion 2 of 7 Frustration

Small Drawings / High Hopes – Emotion 2 of 7 Frustration

Emotion 2 The feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of the inability to change or achieve something. Here’s something we can all connect on right now. Of all the emotions capable in human existence I may have experienced this one the most. But I...

Small Drawings / High Hopes – Emotion 1 of 7 Wanderlust

Small Drawings / High Hopes – Emotion 1 of 7 Wanderlust

Emotion 1 A strong desire to travel. But a desire to travel where? I suppose the best place to start explaining this project and therefore me is to start in the place I did.  I was born in Peru Indiana, an unassuming midwestern town like many others aside from the...

Artist Kyle Krauskopf Talks Candidly

Artist Kyle Krauskopf Talks Candidly

All my life I have felt out of place. It started with being a chubby little kid with glasses and a bowl-cut who was into superheroes and star wars- consequently being made fun of for all of these.  Saying I sought to “fit in” would be an overstep, I think what I...

Heart on My Sleeve: The Race Porter Story

Heart on My Sleeve: The Race Porter Story

By Race PorterEdited by Jenna Alaskar  I have struggled with mental health for as long as I can remember, and like so many other people who deal with mental health issues, my first inclination has always been to hide it. I always figured no one cared, or even worse,...

Life is a Garden

Life is a Garden

Kenyon J. Eshenbaugh, 15, has begun writing short stories to further articulate his experience of his depression. This is one of his stories. By Kenyon J. EshenbaughEdited by Maddy Noonan Life is a garden. An orderly plot of greens, reds, purples, and blues. At least...

Going Public: Talking About Mental Illness

Going Public: Talking About Mental Illness

Photo Credit: Cameron Thomsen. Yeesh. That’s what I think to myself every time I try to start this blog post, because mental illness is hard to write about. You would think that, after years of living with it, documenting it would be as easy as breathing. I wear my...

A Side Worth Fighting For

A Side Worth Fighting For

By Rachel Spurlock, NAMI Seattle Intern Summer 2019Edited by Maddy Noonan It is not a choice for attention, it is not a cause of hormone overloads. It is not just a normal teenage feeling. It’s called living with depression, and with that comes every possible negative...

Introducing Eli Lieberman, NAMI Board Member

Introducing Eli Lieberman, NAMI Board Member

By Brandt Nickel, William McGinnis, Dominic Bui, Han Lunchou, and Nathan LeasUW Bothell School of BusinessEdited by Maddy Noonan “Embrace the uncomfortable” is a favorite mantra of Eli Lieberman, first year board member at NAMI Seattle. Eli, a cheerful professional...

Sunny’s Mission

Sunny’s Mission

Dr. Sunny Chieh Cheng, Board Member By Marc Anthony CisnerosEdited by Cameron Safai, Mychael Hodges, Sarah Jensen, and Nicolle Osborn, UW Bothell School of Business Edited by Maddy Noonan While some struggle to find motivation to pull through each day, Sunny finds her...

I Did a Thing: Why Art Matters

I Did a Thing: Why Art Matters

Art by Jenny Vidovic Maddy Noonan opens up about performance and its role in her mental health. Here is her story. A long time ago, or so the story goes, an aristocratic family in Cheshire had a lion on their crest. This family commissioned a painting of their crest,...

How We Heal: Faarah’s Journey in Muslim Mental Health

How We Heal: Faarah’s Journey in Muslim Mental Health

Faarah Misbah attended the 11th Annual Muslim Mental Health Conference in Tempe, Arizona. Here is her story. I’m someone who is very involved in the Muslim community because of my volunteering history. I’ve volunteered a lot in planning social events and in helping...

How this NAMI Seattle Support Group is Helping People Find Acceptance

How this NAMI Seattle Support Group is Helping People Find Acceptance

Second in a series of three blogposts, two UW Bothell business students reflect on the experience of attending a NAMI support group dinner for the first time.   By Heather Agun and Divij Vispute Just before 5:30 PM, we pulled into the parking lot at The Broadview...

Head & HeART: Creating our Recovery Art Walk Review

Head & HeART: Creating our Recovery Art Walk Review

By Samuel Moradbakhti and Siyi Cao Edited by Ty Chapman, Divij Vispute, and Heather Agun UW Bothell School of Business In the second of a two blogpost series, two UW Bothell students who have friends and relatives living with mental illness (one of whom is candid with...

The Day You Own Your Mental Health at Work: Beth Anne Katz

The Day You Own Your Mental Health at Work: Beth Anne Katz

I was standing in a phone room in an unfamiliar building, the bare walls and cramped space barely a glorified storage closet. On the phone with my parents, I finally spoke the truth I was avoiding: “I’ve fallen behind again.” I was behind on my work, my delays were...

Michele’s Journey into NAMI Seattle

Michele’s Journey into NAMI Seattle

By Mychael Hodges Edited By, Cameron Safai, Marc Cisneros, Sarah Jensen, Nicolle Osborn UW Bothell School of Business “Supporting NAMI Seattle on the board with my time and talents makes me feel like I’m helping others on their own journeys through mental illness and...

Gypsy Temple King Youngblood NAMI Benefit Concert Review

Gypsy Temple King Youngblood NAMI Benefit Concert Review

By Tyler Mackie, NAMI Seattle guest writer It’s a beautiful early May evening, the sun is setting, and a rock concert is happening on the Seattle pier. Last week, I had the opportunity of seeing a band perform that believes in bringing awareness to mental illness. The...

2019 Head and Heart Walk

2019 Head and Heart Walk

EXAMPLES OF ARTWORK THAT ADORNED THE WALLS OF COPIOUS FOR THE EVENING. CREATED BY AN ANONYMOUS ARTIST LIVING AN EATING DISORDER. PHOTO CREDIT: LAMAR HENDRIKSE By Tyler Hearing and Lamar Hendrikse Edited by Aaron Carchia, Mariam Said, Aidan Emmons, and Harpreet Singh...

The Power of NAMI People

The Power of NAMI People

What Did Our Volunteers Do in 2018? Maybe you know that all of our community programs are led by volunteers, but what did our volunteers actually DO this year? I’m so glad you asked! With the start of a new year, I’ve been looking back over everything our amazing...

Let’s Spread the Realness

Let’s Spread the Realness

Hey NAMI Family. It’s Ashley. I’m ready to talk. For real. It’s time. Every year around this time, we tell stories of recovery to inspire you and connect you to NAMI’s mission. This year, as I conclude my time as Executive Director, I’m ready to tell a little bit of...

Are You Lonely? Emotional & Social Isolation

Are You Lonely? Emotional & Social Isolation

By Gideon C. Elliott As a society, we are on the brink of an epidemic. The number of people in the U.S. who admit to being lonely is at 40% – double the reported numbers from the 1980s. There is a growing body of literature on loneliness and mental health, but...

De-escalate Washington: Supporting I-940

De-escalate Washington: Supporting I-940

In my previous role at NAMI Chicago, I worked with the Chicago Police Department and their Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) unit to supervise and support people with lived experience who volunteered to engage in the role play portion of their CIT class. These were...

Purest Intentions

Purest Intentions

About four years ago, I stumbled upon an article that changed my entire experience of life. I cannot recall the precise moment and origin of my stunned discovery. It may have been a result of another exasperated search-engine attempt to comprehend my mind’s madness....

Mental Health Conditions Know No Party Lines

Mental Health Conditions Know No Party Lines

August 2018 We are living in a time of increasing polarization in our communities, and I know that we are all feeling it. I feel it. There’s an anger buzzing underneath everything as people face more and more uncertainty in their lives and persecution based on their...

A Long Wail of Pain

A Long Wail of Pain

Written by Joanne Conger,  June 8th, 2018 I am heartbroken. So, this is long wail of pain. Not everyone could see how Anthony Bourdain was doing, whether or not he seemed to be fine. That is a hard thing to “see” when someone has a show. You see what is filmed. You...

Supporting Students When a Classmate Dies From Suicide

Supporting Students When a Classmate Dies From Suicide

Throughout my four years as a high school student, the subject of mental health was something that was rarely discussed in school. While we had many different educational assemblies about cultural awareness and being kind to others, we never once had a discussion...

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