Community as defined in the Oxford dictionary is “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.”
There isn’t enough emphasis placed on the value communities provide. We’re all part of many communities. Some of them are informal, so informal that we don’t even give them a second thought, like the random people my son plays video games with while online. Other communities are more formal and well-defined, like the churches we belong to or the places we work. We don’t even think about these communities very often, but when we’re in need, it’s often the people within these communities that help and support us and lift us up. I’ve experienced the value communities bring time and again throughout my lifetime, especially when I’m going through a personal crisis.
My hope by starting this blog is that a new community will be created, and like most communities, its members will be there to help and support one another through sharing ideas, experiences, resources, etc. Specifically, I am very passionate about sharing my thoughts, articles, and videos on issues that impact people touched by mental illness.
My husband and I were thrown, maybe even catapulted, into the middle of mental health concerns about 23 years ago when our oldest son, Aaron, became very ill with a mental illness. Over time we’ve learned a lot about mental health and the impact a mental illness can have on an individual and their family. I hope to share some of what we’ve learned through personal experience and ideas on how we can minimize the stigma associated with mental illness. Over the years, we’ve seen changes for the better for people and families with mental illness, but the changes have been small and a long time coming. There is so much more we need to do so that people suffering from mental illness can get the care and support they need.
Raising Healthy Minds 