Baldwin County’s National Alliance on Mental Illness will shortly be presenting the “Nothing to Hide” art exhibit at several Baldwin County libraries including your very own Bay Minette Public Library.

The exhibit will be on display for a couple of weeks beginning on August 28th. The official kick off will take place on Thursday, August 29th with a meet and greet session beginning at 3 p.m. and a presentation entitled “In Our Own Voice” which will take place in the library program room at 4 p.m.

Those suffering from mental illness have endured a dark history of mistreatment, misunderstanding and shunning. Often their illnesses were not thought of as illness at all, but instead as anything from demonic possession to a form of punishment for moral failing. The stigma attached to mental illness caused generations of individuals to be institutionalized and ignored, their real needs unaddressed as their bodies were shackled, warehoused and forgotten. It wasn’t until 1946 in our country that President Truman passed the National Mental Health Act. It allocated government funding for research and treatment options, taking the plight of the mentally ill out of a Dark Age mentality and recognizing the social and moral necessity of addressing their needs as an actual form of illness. This act also created the National Institute of Mental Health. Nearly 20 years later the Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Health Centers Construction Act funded the creation of community-based mental health services. The move toward understanding and acceptance had begun.

In 1979 the National Alliance on Mental Illness was created in Madison, Wisconsin, by 254 individuals who worked together to find a way to aid and support those suffering from mental illness. There are now 1200 affiliates in the United States with 20 of them in Alabama. There are groups not only in the U.S. but around the world with over 220,000 active members.

NAMI offers support, education and advocacy for those suffering from mental illness. Support groups lend an understanding ear for those coping with mental illness themselves or feeling its impact as family members and friends. Education is offered in the form of courses, brochures, newsletters, articles that highlight the numerous resources available. NAMI also promotes Mental Illness Awareness Week, which takes place the first full week of October. NAMI has worked diligently to put a national spotlight on mental illness and offer public understanding that in the long term is the best means to alleviate stigma and discrimination related to mental illness. NAMI is dedicated to actively advocating for the rights of those suffering from mental illness. Their aim is to foster an educated understanding in the general public while supporting further research into disorders of the brain that might sponsor cures and additional treatments for disorders.

According to NAMI, “mental illnesses are brain disorders that can be diagnosed and treated as successfully as many other physical illnesses (disorders).” There are no barriers to mental illness. It can affect anyone regardless of race, age, or socioeconomic status. Nearly five million adults and over three million children in the U.S. suffer an “acute episode” of obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The causes of these disorders range from infections and injuries to genetics and chemical imbalances in the brain.

NAMI Baldwin County is a non-profit organization that generates the majority of its funding from its members. They receive additional funding from private contributions and grants. If you would like to make a contribution or need further information for you or a family member, please call 965-NAMI (6264) or email namibc@gulftel.com. We hope to see you at the library for the “Nothing to Hide” exhibit, meet and greet and the “In Our Own Voice” presentation.

Joanna Bailey is the director of the Bay Minette Public Library. She can be reached at baileyvolumes@gmail.com