URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - The National Alliance on Mental Health hosted a walk to help fight the stigmas behind mental illness.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) held a walk in Meadowbrook Park to honor those fighting Mental Illness and in hopes of ending the stigma behind it. NAMI hopes that through more walks and open conversations people will see it for what it is: a health issue.
NAMI says studies have proven more than half of adults with mental health received no treatment last year. The ones who did, did not receive the proper treatment they needed. Each year individuals struggle with the stigma behind mental illness. Mental Illness is often overlooked, made fun of and even ignored.
One volunteer, Satvitka Veeravalli, says "people in my cultural background handle it by pushing it under the rug and kind of treating it like an elephant in the room." Veeravali was diagnosed with Panic Disorder her freshman year of high school and struggled to get proper treatment without the support of her family. She says she didn't let the lack of support stop her from getting the treatment she needed.
Tisha Bryson, a volunteer has her own story: "I was actually diagnosed with Bipolar type 1 right out of high school. I have been suffering from ups and downs from trying to figure out what that means and accepting that I have to take medication and live a healthy lifestyle,"Mental Health comes in many forms and people deal with it differently.Tisha says often times, she felt nothing. She wants anyone dealing with similar issues way to know they are not alone.
