What we’re about
This group is designed to be a safe, supportive and empowering space for those of us who currently deal with or have dealt with mental health issues and all the components that surround them. We acknowledge and understand that mental health lies on a spectrum, and that we all have a relationship with it to varying degrees. Depending on the circumstances of daily life and living, our mental health has the capacity to improve or lessen, and we believe that through the power of community and interconnectedness we can not only work to erase the stigma of mental illness, but also help one another achieve optimal wellness so that we may live full, robust and authentic lives.
The goal of this group is three-fold:
(1) To normalize candid conversations about living with a mental/emotional/behavioral health condition or conditions in public spaces
(2) To form and strengthen bonds of friendship, trust and mutual support
(3) To help one another navigate life’s challenges and achieve optimal wellness through an emphasis on aligning various components of one’s being (holistic approach)
We believe that our lives are comprised of various systems that are organically interconnected and interdependent, and that when in alignment with each other, these systems give rise to optimal and sustained mental, emotional and behavioral wellness.
This group is also open to those with personality/behavioral disorders such as Autism Spectrum, Attention Deficit, Obsessive-Compulsive, Avoidant Personality, and even those with "stigmatized" character traits like shyness, introversion and the like. We welcome mental health professionals in every field and scope of practice, mental health advocates, representatives from government and non-profit mental health awareness and advocacy entities, faith leaders, education and criminal justice professionals, public servants, creative types, and most of all, laypeople like myself who simply have a curiosity and desire to learn about other people's experiences dealing with mental health conditions, and about mental health issues in general. What I hope unites us all is a willingness to listen, understand, educate and support one another along our respective journeys and to the best of our respective capacities.
We believe in promoting a respectful, accepting and inclusive environment for every gathering, free of judgment or any inkling of strife or prejudice. We are all here to learn from one another and support each other in our respective journeys toward lasting wellness, sustained by a constant hope bolstered by an ever-increasing ability to cope with life's difficulties and challenges effectively. Please note that I am not a mental health professional and this is not a professionally-facilitated group therapy setting. Nor is this an official peer-to-peer support network. If you are seeking professional care for a possible mental health-related condition in yourself or someone you know, please go through the proper health care channels in order to get the help you need. I will be more than happy to refer you to any number of mental health organizations that can set you in the right direction.
We will organize a mixture of informal gatherings, activities in the arts, advocacy walks, and workshops and events related to mental health awareness and recovery. Of course, members are highly-encouraged to share their own interests with the group, and especially how those interests have served them in their recovery or in the recovery of someone they know. Hopefully this sharing will lead to even more ideas for meetup events.
Hope to meet everyone soon! Be well.
-Marcel Wormsley, Group Organizer