Two summers ago, I walked into a cocktail party, in a white dress, at Larkin’s Sawmill.
A friend of mine had sent me the invite because it was a benefit for our local chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and she knew that it was something I cared about, as I was a counselor and had a heart for things that helped reduce the stigma around having a mental illness.
But what my friend didn’t know is that I was so passionate about that because I myself had a mental illness, and had faced some pretty serious discrimination in my personal and professional life that made me feel like, “yeah, I’m really struggling with my depression this week” wasn’t something I could, well, talk about at cocktail parties.
That summer at the White Hot Party to benefit NAMI Greenville, I learned just the opposite about our community, and I met so many people in white dresses and white suits that cared just as much as I did.
One of those people in those white dresses was a woman named Samantha Radandt, master party planner and owner of B + R Events, who told me a bit more about why she loves to support NAMI Greenville:
“When I was first got sick, we didn’t realize what exactly was wrong with me – but I knew that it had to be something with my mental health because my family has a history of that. I started going to therapy, which helped me, but there wasn’t really a way to send my husband to therapy, to help him process it all, too.
But one of the great resources that NAMI does is offer a ton of free resources right here in Greenville. One of them is a support group for loved ones, and that helped our relationship because I could focus on my healing, but he was able to talk with people who had been where he was, too.”
In addition to these support groups, NAMI offers classes and gives presentations in schools that reach all kinds of audiences – parents of a child with a mental illness, people with illnesses who want to hear from others who have dealt with the same thing, as well local law enforcement to continually learn to help people in crisis the best way.
“Even on their website, NAMI has little videos that explain what different illnesses are,” Samantha continued. “I was diagnosed with Bipolar Type II, and it helped me so much to know that there was a place in my city that could help me walk through it – it wasn’t this far-off thing.”
Samantha started her event planning company, B + R Events, in 2006.
“In our 10th year, we started throwing a gala for New Year’s Eve, and split the proceeds between NAMI Greenville and TEAL (Tell Every Amazing Lady About Ovarian Cancer.)
“But I wanted to do something that focused on NAMI, and help wipe clean the slate that having a mental illness is this awful thing. So, the White Hot Party was born. I feel like it brings liveliness to an issue that can feel really heavy, and celebrate that we’re bringing more awareness to it. We can all take better care of our mental health – it’s not just about the illness part.”
Overall health starts with mental health. If Samantha could tell our city one thing about NAMI, it’s that it’s run by incredibly kind people who care deeply about other people.
“I’ve had the Director, Ken Dority, return a call and he’ll say “I’m so sorry, someone had a suicide attempt and I wanted to check on them,” which is huge to have a person in charge who cares that much.
There are resources in our city that are free — sometimes when we don’t take care of ourselves it’s because we’re afraid of the cost – but there’s an additional cost to that because staying away from the help means you’ll only get worse. I had to get so sick before I sought real help, and it was hard. But there are things we can do, and do early, and do often. I don’t know where I’d be, where our city would be without NAMI Greenville.”
How You Can Help NAMI Greenville, Based on your Love Language:
Gift-Giving:
As always, you can give a tax-deductible donation that stays right in our community.
Quality Time:
White Hot Party to benefit NAMI Greenville | Thursday, May 31 | Larkin’s Sawmill | 8pm
This year’s theme? Arabian Nights – so imagine if Pitbull took all his friends on a magic carpet ride. Food, bevvies, and there’s even a VIP section. (I’ll see you on the dance floor!)
NAMIWalks Upstate 2018 | Saturday, June 9 | Furman University | 9am
Don’t want to run a 5K? Great! We walk this one, raise money to support NAMI’s work in the Upstate, and talk about ways to reduce stigma and make the world a place where nobody feels like they have to hide the stuff they struggle with. Grab your Fitbit and come learn how to save the world.
Acts of Service:
NAMI is involved in GVL in so many ways, from hosting support groups to working with doctors offices – you’d like to hear more or hop on board, fill out this form and tell a little about yourself.
Words of Affirmation:
This one can be so simple – be a safe space for the people around you! You don’t always know what someone’s dealing with, so try to create spaces and conversations in your daily life where someone who may be struggling knows that it’s okay to ask for help. Think going to therapy is weird? Learn more about it before you knock it. Don’t understand why someone can get so anxious about little stuff? Ask them to explain it to you!
And remember — just because you haven’t experienced a mental illness doesn’t mean you don’t have what it takes to be a great support for people who do, and it just may help you more than you help them.
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