The IrisMAY/JUNE. Are you in? Mental Health Month 2017 IN THIS ISSUE. Continue to pages 8-9 to see how NAMI Wisconsin kicked off Mental Health Month!

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1 The IrisMAY/JUNE 2017 Vol 32 Issue 3 The State s Voice on Mental Illness IN THIS ISSUE Spreading Hope Through 2 Peer Support 13 Reasons Why 3 CIT&CIP Highlights 4 Affiliate Highlights: 5 Change is a Good Thing Advocacy at the 6 Intersections of Identity Mendota Mental Health 7 Consumer Conference Event Recap: 8 Annual Conference 2017 Event Recap: 9 Action on the Square Ask the Doctor 10 Are you in? Mental Health Month 2017 The start of the month of May signifies another Mental Health Month in the making! Each year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition, as 1 in 5 U.S. adults will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. However, everyone is affected or impacted by mental illness through friends and family. Throughout May, NAMI and participants across the country are raising awareness for mental health. Thousands of people across the nation are working tirelessly in their communities to spread change through advocacy, education and support. It is easy to become overwhelmed with the amount of change that needs to be done. You might be thinking How am I supposed to do all of this during Mental Health Month? Odds are likely that you already have a full plate of projects and the mere thought of picking up yet another project overwhelms you. Take on change with baby steps. Any amount of change that you can initiate in your own community is amazing. Share your story. Start a conversation. Post on social media. Learn the facts. Take the #PledgeAgainstStigma. These are all amazingly simple ways that you can create change in your community during Mental Health Month. Even efforts that seem to be SO small are making such a significant difference in the lives of many. Mental health awareness starts with you. Your community. Your Story. Your Voice. We thank you for your continued effort during this year s Mental Health Month! Help us spread the word about the many awareness, support and advocacy activities by showing you re #IntoMentalHealth NAMI WISCONSIN 4233 W BELTLINE HWY MADISON, WI (608) (800) NAMIWISCONSIN.ORG NAMI Wisconsin is an Affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness 2016 NAMI Wisconsin. All Rights Reserved. Continue to pages 8-9 to see how NAMI Wisconsin kicked off Mental Health Month!

2 HOPE AND RECOVERY The mission of NAMI Wisconsin is to improve the quality of life of people affected by mental illness and to promote recovery. NAMI Wisconsin will accomplish its mission through the following: Establishing local affiliates in keeping with NAMI National s principles and guidelines. Supporting affiliates by providing follow-up advice and counsel, educational and training programs and materials, access to financial resources as appropriate, conferences, seminars, and presentations. Advocating at all levels of government and throughout the public sector. Promoting public education and understanding of mental illnesses. Spreading Hope Through Peer Support What does it mean to be a peer support specialist? To me, it means providing a voice for people when they struggle in finding their own. It means advocating for people, encouraging their recoveries and even sometimes standing in courtrooms as a show of support. And it often means educating community members and outside providers about First Episode Psychosis (FEP) programs like the Early Assessment and Support Alliance (EASA) a program where I transformed from a participant to a peer support specialist. For many, psychosis is a scary experience, and it can be easy to lose hope. When I received my diagnosis, I felt like all hope was lost. I thought my life was over. I thought I was doomed to serve a life sentence, confined to the four walls that enclosed my bedroom in my mother s basement. That s a tough pill to swallow at 20 years old. Due to my fear and paranoia, I often found it difficult to leave not only my house, but even my room. I felt completely alone, hurtling in a downward spiral of despair. This is typical for a person whose experiencing psychosis to withdraw from those around them. For that reason, psychosis breeds isolation and loneliness. But what made a huge impact for me during this period of isolation was being able to talk with others who understood what I was experiencing. What I needed at that time is exactly what I work to provide for people now: messages of hope. At its core, I view peer support as the strategic use of telling one s own lived experience as a tool to work with others through their experience. What does a peer support specialist do? As a peer support specialist, I can meet people where they are comfortable. If they decide they don t want to meet in the office, I can travel to them. I ve met people all throughout my community. Often, we even interact via text message to coordinate meetings or just be in contact. Everyone engages in their own way, and I work hard to build rapport and trust with participants and their families. As a peer support specialist, I work with program participants to help reduce their social isolation. We may look at a participant s hobbies and interests and use those passions to help reconnect them to their community. The social support that can be gained through hobbies is an important coping strategy for those experiencing psychosis. I work with participants to create organic social supports, so when they move on from our program they have a natural support system in place. This newsletter is published six times per year. The views expressed in the newsletter are those of the authors and not necessarily those of our officers or funding sources. As a peer support specialist, I act as a model for recovery. In the past year, I met a psychiatrist who didn t even know recovery from psychosis was possible. After sharing my journey with him and combating the idea that a diagnosis is the end-all for patients, it s my hope that he has changed his message to the patients he works with, potentially creating a dramatic difference in their recovery process. As a peer support specialist, I work to help people to see diagnoses for what they are: words. A diagnosis is not a definition. See, a word by itself doesn t have power it s merely a series of letters mashed together. The negative connotations associated with the words psychosis and schizophrenia are learned, taught to us through sources such as the media. And it s all too easy to take what the media tells us about these diagnoses and use that information to form beliefs about yourself but a diagnosis says nothing more about you than the color of your hair. What defines each person is theirs to create and own. As a peer support specialist, I work with people who need me to hold onto their hope for them until they re ready to hold it for themselves, just as I once needed. Written by Michael Haines, 2 namiwisconsin.org MAY/JUNE 2017

3 WHAT THE RESEARCH IS SAYING 13 Reasons Why Hurts Vulnerable Teens Most likely by now you ve heard about the controversial Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. The show is about Hannah Baker, a high school student who takes her own life and then explains what she sees as the 13 reasons that led to her decision. Her reasons are described in a box of cassette tapes she leaves behind for the people she says contributed to her death. In these tapes, she explains her perception of how these individuals wronged her and instructs them to pass the tapes on to the next person. The show s premise alone stirs up a lot of concern for people in the mental health community because this show is a suicide revenge fantasy. Through these tapes, Hannah receives all the support and love she needed in life after her death. It is a dangerous perspective for everyone, but especially young adults the series target audience most of whom don t realize the finality of death. They may not understand that Hannah is not actually receiving this support, it just seems that way through the magic of television. But for Hannah, it is too late. Television s power shouldn t be underestimated, especially as it pertains to suicide. This is not to say that the topic of suicide should be avoided, but it must be handled carefully. Research has extensively shown that the way media covers suicide can lead to greater suicide risk. That s why ReportingOnSuicide.org provides a specific set of guidelines to avoid media-prompted suicides from happening. 13 Reasons Why violated these guidelines by graphically depicting Hannah taking her life. Additionally, as we learn the backstory of why this young adult ended her life, mental health and mental illness aren t discussed at all. This is major failure of the show as 90% of those who die by suicide have an underlying mental illness and suicide is very often preventable if a person receives the appropriate care. But mental health resources are mentioned only in passing after Hannah s death. There is not a dedicated scene about finding or providing resources for struggling teenagers. The guidance counselor Hannah reaches out to for help fails to introduce her to any mental health resources or even contact her parents. The creators of this show stand firm that they were attempting to start the conversation on the important topics of bullying, sexual assault and suicide. In fact, Selena Gomez (executive producer of 13 Reasons Why) recently commented that backlash was going to come no matter what because suicide is not an easy subject to talk about, but overall, she feels very proud of the show. While the show has started many conversations about suicide, whether those conversations are harmful or helpful is debatable. What is helpful, however, are all the resources that have become more visible in response to the show that is perhaps the series only true benefit. NAMI encourages anyone who may be struggling after watching to seek help. If you re wondering why so many organizations and individuals felt the need to address the issues presented in 13 Reasons Why, it s because suicide is the second leading cause of death for the primary demographic watching the show people between the ages of 15 and 24. And females aged (likely the age of Hannah Baker) actually had a tripling of their suicide rate from 1999 to This topic should not be taken lightly or exploited for entertainment purposes. We all need to be aware of how suicide can and should be talked about in a way that doesn t raise anyone s risk for increasing that already too-high statistic. Written by Laura Greenstein, Communications Coordinator at NAMI (National Office) MAY/JUNE 2017 namiwisconsin.org 3

4 PROGRAM FOCUS About the CIT-Dispatch Training Program A CIT-Dispatch Training Program has been development in Wisconsin as part of the CIT&CIP Wisconsin expansion and initiative. The T in CIT training stands for team, which does not simply start and end with law enforcement. Emergency dispatchers are a critical link to any CIT training program and may include call takers, dispatchers, and 911 operators. This newly adapted curriculum provides training for 911 dispatchers to recognize when someone experiencing a mental health crisis, and is a key component in developing effective crisis intervention responses in one s city, county, region, and state. The CIT-Dispatch Training Program is a comprehensive three to four day training session designed to prepare and empower emergency dispatchers to recognize and understand the signs/symptoms of mental illness. This includes depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders, as well as other associated illnesses including developmental & cognitive disorders and dementia. Highlights of the Training include: Curriculum purposely built to overcome the constraints of the emergency dispatcher. Phone Techniques to deploy DE-ESCALATION for the mental health Consumer in crisis. Skills to assist individuals in CRISIS. Community RESOURCES available to you as well as the mental health consumer and families. WELLNESS for the 1st First RESPONDER & Taking care of our own. CIT for Dispatch CERTIFICATION. CIT&CIP Wisconsin teams from Dane and Waukesha County have adapted this new training program to their area, offering it to dispatchers locally and regionally. The Dane County team, made up of NAMI Dane County and the UW-Madison Police Department, hosted their first CIT-Dispatch training in August 2017, training 29 dispatchers from 16 different departments, across 10 counties in Wisconsin. The Waukesha County team consisting of NAMI Waukesha County and the Waukesha County Communications Center, hosted their first dispatch focused CIT training in March of 2017, reaching 25 dispatchers from 14 different departments, across 4 counties. Both training teams hope to host the CIT-Dispatcher training program annually moving forward. CIT-Dispatch training is approved and recognized by the WI CIT Advisory Committee, meeting state standards of CIT and CIP training programs in the state of Wisconsin. Please visit to learn more about this training and find a CIT-Dispatch training program near you. 4 namiwisconsin.org MAY/JUNE 2017

5 AFFILIATE HIGHLIGHTS Change is a good thing NAMI Wisconsin as a whole is in the midst of a lot of new and exciting changes. As a state organization, we are bringing in several new staff and board members who will no doubt bring in some great ideas on how to grow our organizations efforts. That change, however, does not stop at the state level. Below are a few examples of some exciting changes that are taking place in the local communities that we serve. NAMI FOX VALLEY is thrilled to be collaborating with another local nonprofit (Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities) to launch a transitional housing program for young adults who are experiencing mental health challenges. We expect this new program to launch in July 2017 with six initial participants and to grow to twelve participants over the course of the program s first year. NAMI GREEN COUNTY is excited about the new opportunities on the horizon that will improve options for and response to mental health needs in our community. These opportunities are arising as we increase our partnerships and combine efforts with a variety of service agencies and providers throughout Green County. NAMI LA CROSSE has created sub-committees, Education, Promotion, and Finance, to create a more streamlined operation of the three areas mentioned. We are very excited about accomplishing some lofty goals and this is a good direction to start! NAMI MANITOWOC is very happy to have two members (Alice Mason and Jeffrey Wallander) ready to take the training in Madison, May 20th for the Ending The Silence program. This will be the first time our affiliate will be able to interact with students at the high school level in Manitowoc County. NAMI OSHKOSH recently co-sponsored a very successful fundraiser and in the very near future is offering the public an opportunity to listen to a free presentation related to living with mental health issues. NAMI PORTAGE-WOOD has been working under new board leadership since November. Our affiliate members are involved in CIP & CIT Trainings this year. We are speaking at numerous community events, trying to break the stigma. We have sent some new trainees to NAMI state trainings and we are hoping to hold a Homefront and a Family-to-Family class later this year. We are moving forward in a more involved and focused vision. NAMI ROCK COUNTY just implemented our first paid position (Executive Director). We have also increased our volunteer base and added new programs - IOOV and Compartiendo Esperanza. NAMI SAUK COUNTY hopes to have a few people trained in either Peer Support Group or Family to Family in 2017 so we are able to offer one of these much needed programs. NAMI VERNON looks forward to putting to use what we learned at the state conference about using social media to forward our cause. Please take a moment to like and follow our Facebook pages! Want to get involved with NAMI in your community? Contact your affiliate today! NAMI Wisconsin s Local Affiliates: Barron: (715) Brown: (920) Chippewa Valley: (715) (Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire) Dane: (608) Dodge: (920) x217 Door: (920) Douglas: (715) Fond du Lac: (920) Fox Valley: (920) (Outagamie, Calumet, Waupaca, Winnebago) Green: (608) Jefferson: (920) Kenosha: (262) La Crosse: (608) Manitowoc: (920) Milwaukee: (414) Monroe: (800) Northern Lakes: (715) (Vilas, Oneida, Forest) Northwoods: (715) (Marathon, Lincoln, Langlade) Oshkosh: (920) (Winnebago) Ozaukee: (262) Portage-Wood: (715) Racine: (262) Rock: (800) Sauk: (608) Southwest Wisconsin: (608) (Grant, Iowa, Crawford) St. Croix Valley: (608) (St. Croix, Pierce) Trempealeau: (608) UW Madison: (262) Vernon: (608) Walworth: (262) Washington: (262) Waukesha: (262) MAY/JUNE 2017 namiwisconsin.org 5

6 AROUND THE STATE & NATION Advocacy at the Intersections of Identity BY LEAH ROLANDO Mental illness is a heavy weight to carry. Add being LGBTQ+, a person of color, someone who does not practice the dominant faith of Christianity, or anyone else on the margins of identity in the U.S., and you ll find your mental illness even heavier. When we participate in mental health advocacy, it is necessary to remember that our issues are interrelated. What does it look like to advocate for better access to mental health treatment for people in poverty? How do we decrease racial disparities when we re pushing for legislation to prevent people from entering and returning to jail and prison? What does it mean to support youth mental health initiatives while making sure we recognize the specific needs of LGBTQ youth? What can be done to promote avenues to recovery in the community through employment, peer services, and support for people who have been incarcerated or may be experiencing homelessness? People from marginalized communities face multiple barriers when seeking mental health care. This includes, but not limited to: higher levels of stigma, less access to treatment, a culturally insensitive health care system, bias and discrimination in treatment settings, and lack of access to health insurance. I reached out to some friends who are responsive to these issues and are currently doing work to address them in our communities. This is how their advocacy partners with mental health advocacy: My advocacy and work for systemic change is inextricably linked with my work in mental health and healing. I believe we can have full and deep liberation and social justice only if we also build space for people to heal from trauma, express and feel the depth of their feelings and experiences, and build mutual connection, empathy and resilience. -Owen Karcher, Art Therapist & Social Justice Consultant The link between criminal justice and mental health is clear as day far too many people are criminalized for mental health issues. Poor people and black and brown people, in particular, are miscast as criminal instead of getting the support they deserve. The criminal justice system is not an appropriate place to address mental health, and the misuse of it to do so is not only reinforcing disparities in our community, it s wasting our community s resources. We should move away from advocacy as the mindset; I am not advocating for people in juvenile detention, jail, prisons, etc. like they re helpless. I am, at my best, opening doors for them to craft their own message and achieve their own goals and destinies. - Leland Pan, MSW student and former Dane County Board Supervisor As an African American social worker in Madison I advocate for people of color to obtain the services they need. Many people of color don t understand that mental health ailments are real so they may tend to ignore the signs. I see that when people are ready to reach out for help the help is not readily available; there are long waiting lists and many providers may not take the type of insurance that most of our clients have. There are times that people do not maintain the help when they finally get it because the providers can t relate to them. As an advocate in the field I try to encourage incoming college students of color to join our profession so that there are more mental health professionals available to our people. Working with LGBTQ teens has been both rewarding and challenging. Mainly the challenge is the lack of services available for them outside of our group. I have learned quite a bit about their common struggles and have become a more dedicated advocate in educating mental health practitioners about how to work specifically with LGBTQ youth. - Robin Matthies, Briarpatch Youth Services Facilitator - Erica Anderson, Joining Forces for Families Social Worker 6 namiwisconsin.org MAY/JUNE 2017

7 AROUND THE STATE & NATION Mendota Mental Health Institute s 5TH ANNUAL CONSUMER CONFERENCE: Ethics of Diversity Wednesday, August 23, am- 12:15 pm Location: Mendota Mental Health Institute Conference Center Keynote Presenters: SAMIR JABER is a Staff Attorney at Disability Rights Wisconsin. Since 2013, he has served as a Program Attorney for the Disability Benefit Specialist Program, which works with people with disabilities to advocate for their eligibility for public benefits, including SSDI, SSI, Medicaid, Medicare, and other benefit programs. He is also on the Executive Board of the Public Interest Law Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin, and a founding member of the Wisconsin Association of Muslim Lawyers. Samir is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. During his time in law school, Samir was a legal intern at the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. He also served as a law clerk at the Southern Poverty Law Center s Mississippi Youth Justice Project, which worked to reduce the imprisonment of poor children of color by advocating for reforms to Mississippi s juvenile justice, education, and mental health systems. Samir was also a student attorney at UW s Neighborhood Law Clinic, which provided free legal services related to housing law, employment law, and public benefit eligibility to low-income individuals. Prior to law school, Samir received his Bachelor of Arts from UW-Madison with majors in English and History. KAREN LANE is an advocate for Disability Rights Wisconsin. She has been a part of Disability Rights Wisconsin Violence against Women with Disabilities and Deaf Women Project for 14 years and is an advocate with DRW s Victim of Crime Project. Karen identifies as a person with lived experience with mental illness and prior to her work with DRW, she worked in mental health consumer peer support services, served on statewide mental health committees, is a trauma champion, and worked hard to address the silence around the high prevalence of violent crime experienced by people with mental illness. She is the recipient of the Jim Maddox Peer of the Year 2014 Iris Award by NAMI Wisconsin for her outstanding work on behalf of mental health consumers in the State of Wisconsin. When not working, Karen enjoys gardening, writing, kayaking, plant walks, and creating art. Co-Sponsored by NAMI Wisconsin MMHI 5TH ANNUAL CONSUMER CONFERENCE: ETHICS OF DIVERSITY Registration Form Please return form by July 14th, 2017 PRINT FULL NAME ORGANIZATION ADDRESS CITY/ZIP PHONE NUMBER Please return this form with a $15.00 check payable to MMHI. Return form and check to: MMHI Education Resource Department 301 Troy Drive, Madison, Wisconsin MAY/JUNE 2017 namiwisconsin.org 7

8 NEWS FROM NAMI WISCONSIN Together We Define Tomorrow These conferences just keep getting better! The caliber of speakers is just excellent-- not only great content, but great presentation! -Conference attendee Earlier this month, we kicked off Mental Health Month with the NAMI Wisconsin Annual Conference 2017! Over 350 mental health advocates joined us at the Sheraton Madison Hotel, located in Madison, for an eventful two days of workshops and networking. The conference had over 350 mental health consumers, family members, providers and clinicians, local representatives, and law enforcement partners in attendance. This year s theme, Together We Define Tomorrow, focuses on community collaboration for change. We believe that with each attendee s unique background and knowledge, we can all collectively come together to initiate change within the mental health system. With this advocacy theme, we were lucky to have local representatives join us, such as Representative Paul Tittl and Representative Melissa Sargent. On Friday, May 5th, we kicked off the event with a special address given from Representative Tittl and a keynote address from Chris Prochut. Chris shared his former experiences as a former police commander and his direct experience with his own mental health condition. Attendees then had the opportunity to attend a variety of breakout workshop sessions, which ranged in topics such as utilizing social media, healing yoga techniques, and combating compassion fatigue. After the chance to rest and recover from a long day of workshops and networking, attendees gathered for day two of the Annual Conference which promised to be as inspiring and informative as day one. On Saturday, May 6th, we heard an inspiring special address from Representative Melissa Sargent and a keynote address from Mettie Spiess. Mattie shared her heart-wrenching story of losing two brothers to mental illness and how she now turns that grief into motivation to make a difference amongst youth all across the nation. From the bottom of our hearts, NAMI Wisconsin would like to thank each and every individual who joined us at the Annual Conference this year. This event couldn t be as successful without the attendees who support it. We would also like to extend our gratitude to all of the volunteers, presenters, and donors who helped make this conference possible. We truly couldn t do it without your continued support! For more information on how to get involved in the NAMI Wisconsin Annual Conference 2018, please visit our website or contact Jamie, PR & Events Coordinator, at jamie@namiwisconsin.org Written by Jamie Gurgul, PR & Events Coordinator at NAMI Wisconsin Thank you to the many organizations who supported the Annual Conference 2017! Alarus Healthcare Cornerstone Counseling Services, Inc. CUNA Mutual Group Disability Rights Wisconsin Doxy.Me, LLC Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison Friends of PACT, Inc. George Williams College of Aurora University Gideons International Health Experiences Research Network Independence First 8 namiwisconsin.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies Madison Gas and Electric Company Midstate Independent Living Consultants Millennium Health Rogers Memorial Hospital Rose Hill Center SALS Recovery Center SNHU- MS Clinical Mental Health Willow Creek Behavioral Health Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling Wisconsin Department of Health Services

9 NEWS FROM NAMI WISCONSIN NAMI Wisconsin Advocates Take... Action on the Square! On Thursday, May 4th, over 100 NAMI advocates from around the state gathered in Madison to advocate for mental health. The day kicked off at the Park Hotel where attendees enjoyed brunch and networking with other advocates. The morning program included a welcome address by State Representative Joan Ballweg who discussed her work on the Assembly Mental Health Committee. Immediately following, attendees learned about the Wisconsin state budget process, mental health items included in the Governor s budget and where the gaps lay. Attendees were then empowered to put their own stories of mental illness into action through an interactive NAMI Smarts Training, provided by Sita Diehl, Director of Policy and State Outreach. After brunch, attendees marched to the Capitol where the warm May weather was perfect for a rally. Lime green signs proclaiming: No Health Without Mental Health and Early Intervention Saves Lives, among others, were the perfect backdrop against the bright, white Capitol building. Passersby heard compelling speeches from consumers, family members, students, advocates and legislators. The diverse line-up of speakers showcased how mental illness does not discriminate it really does affect everyone. After the rally, attendees marched up the Capitol stairs for one-on-one meetings with their elected officials. They discussed the necessity of affordable mental health treatment services, transportation in and around their communities and the important role employment plays in recovery. The event was also attended by almost 50 high school students from Milwaukee who were empowered to be their own advocates and raise their voices about their own mental health challenges. Finally, attendees spoke up for those not able to be present. They explained that there are too many people with mental illness in our jail and prison systems and these individuals also deserve to experience recovery through the appropriate diversion and referral to mental health services. Thank you to everyone who attended and took Action on the Square! We couldn t have done it without you! For those who couldn t attend, please continue to raise your voice, as all people with mental illness and their families deserve to be heard. For more information about how to get involved with advocacy or questions about current mental health legislation, please contact the Advocacy Coordinator at or crystal@namiwisconsin.org. Written by Crystal Hester, Advocacy Coordinator at NAMI Wisconsin MAY/JUNE 2017 namiwisconsin.org 9

10 NAMI Wisconsin, Inc W Beltline Hwy Madison, WI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Julianne Carbin, MSW OFFICE STAFF Carol Mitchell Rybak, MSEd Crystal Hester, MSW Dennis Wilder Jamie Gurgul Mary Kay Battaglia Nate Schorr Stacey Mohr VOLUNTEERS Bob Fox Carol Grogan Leah Rolando Nancy Abraham BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Michael Newton Vice-President Rob Golub Secretary Katherine Rybak Treasurer Seth Conard Members At Large Chris Finnell Chris Schmaling Dorothy Thompson Jennifer Kleinert, RN Jessie Uttke John Battaglia, MD Kelly Kruse Ricky Muhammad Phone: (608) (800) FAX: (608) nami@namiwisconsin.org ASK THE DOCTOR Medical Marijuana? BY JOHN BATTAGLIA, MD I get asked pretty frequently do I support medical marijuana (MJ)? Sometimes this question is embedded in a larger one, that of, is it OK to use MJ?, and, is it OK to use MJ if you have a mental illness? Let s look at each of these in turn. The cannabis plant contains literally hundreds of chemical compounds, of which about 70 cannabinoids have been identified. Cannabinoids are the chemicals in MJ that produce brain effects. The different cannabinoids can have a wide range of effects, and studying marijuana use is thus complicated by the myriad of chemical possibilities with each strain of cannabis. These effects can include dizziness, fatigue, euphoria, hallucinations, muscle relaxation, memory problems, lack of motivation, pain relief, increased appetite, reduced nausea, vomiting and vomiting relief. Interestingly, there is one cannabinoid that is undergoing research for anti-psychotic effects! When it comes to medical marijuana, there is surprisingly very little scientific evidence that MJ has any medical benefit. There are numerous internet claims (especially on Facebook) that MJ is a miracle drug, however, these claims don t hold up when studied using scientifically controlled research. When studies are done comparing MJ to approved synthetic cannabis medication or standard treatments, the MJ often doesn t perform as well. It is complicated to get the legal permission to do research on MJ treatment for medical conditions, and thus fewer studies are done than are needed. There is some medical evidence MJ can reduce chronic pain and muscle spasms, reduce the nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy, and improve appetite for people with AIDS. It is fascinating that the reasons some states have approved medical marijuana are based mostly on politics and not medical science. Is MJ relatively safe? Like most things in life, the answer is complicated. For most people, using small to moderate amounts of MJ, there is very little medical risk. In fact, the risks of using MJ are far less than the medical and psychological risks of using alcohol. Smoking marijuana is associated with chronic bronchitis symptoms and large airway inflammation. Heavy, chronic MJ use can lead to more serious lung conditions. Some people become addicted to using MJ, and suffer from low motivation, memory problems, thinking problems and lose interest in life. Sometimes people addicted to MJ start abusing stimulants to counteract the MJ effects, and this leads to greater chemical dependency (often resulting in greatly lowered functioning). The effects of MJ use on the developing brain of a child or adolescent are almost completely unknown. Heavy MJ use in early adolescence is associated with higher rates of developing schizophrenia. MJ use can worsen symptoms for people with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, sometimes triggering relapse of psychotic or manic episodes. So here are my answers to the above questions: For the vast majority of medical conditions, I do not support using MJ as a treatment. I do think overall MJ use is less dangerous than alcohol use. I do think MJ should be legalized, but I agree with this for political and not for medical marijuana reasons (this complicated topic requires a whole separate article). The more MJ you use, the greater the likelihood of medical and psychological damage. For people with serious mental illnesses, MJ use can be a trigger for worsening symptoms and relapse of psychotic or manic episodes. STAY CONNECTED! Get the latest updates in mental health news and research. Follow NAMI Wisconsin on social media! 10 namiwisconsin.org MAY/JUNE 2017

11 FROM THE PRESIDENT It is with great sadness that I let you all know that this will be my last article as President and as a NAMI Wisconsin Board Member. I will be resigning this month as I have taken a position as Assistant Vice President and Chief of Police at Iowa State University. I have been in Iowa now for just over a month and love the campus and the people here. I am continuing to fight for mental health and have already done outreach with a number of Iowa mental health advocates. I am excited to tell you that I am working to implement more training in my new department and have meetings coming up with NAMI Iowa. I will miss you all and I have a place in my heart for NAMI Wisconsin and its members. I will continue to fight to eliminate stigma just in another state. Remember May is Mental Health Month and we need to take every opportunity we can to educate people about mental illness. We need to remind them what impacts current laws and legislation have on people who are in recovery or those who need treatment. Please take a minute this month and educate people about mental illness. It has been a pleasure getting to know the great members of NAMI Wisconsin. If I can ever be of assistance, please reach out. Together we can eliminate stigma and make the mental health system better! Michael Newton, President EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR S CORNER The best way to predict the future is to create it Abraham Lincoln When I think back about what brought me to NAMI, my mind always comes around to this idea that I wanted to do something that would help people. I had heard from a handful of colleagues and friends about just how much of a difference this organization had made in their lives, and I wanted to be a person who brought that positivity to other people. It didn t take long, however, for me to realize that the true benefit of NAMI would be the difference that everyone else would make in MY life. I expected to be an agent of change and goodwill, but I quickly realized that I am, in fact, the benefactor of it. Earlier this month I was fortunate enough to take part in our Action on the Square event at the State Capitol in Madison. I will never forget the image of the diverse crowd of people rallying around this common thread of mental health advocacy. Whether it was men and women, students and police officers, children and grandparents, blue collar and white collar, all they cared about at that moment was making a difference and building mental health equity. There was a noticeable buzz that change was happening right then and there, and each person there was doing their part to make it happen. I went on to attend a legislative meeting with a mother from Janesville who, walking into her Senator s office, did not hesitate to express her nerves. Her family had no doubt faced their share of hardships at the hands of mental illness, but she wasn t sure how to translate that message into actionable change. Minutes into the meeting, however, I could already see her start to feel emboldened by her own passion and courage. She opened up about the obstacles she faced, related it back to the state budget priorities, and talked about how she didn t want other people to have to face the dame difficulties she did. It ended with her staring confidently across the table and saying, Something needs to change. That s why I m here. I couldn t help but feel genuinely moved by what this event stood for, and what NAMI can inspire people to do. It helps people build bridges, step outside of their comfort zone, and stand up to take change into their own hands. So when I think back about why I wanted to come to NAMI, I realize that this organization is more than I could have ever imagined, and fills me with more pride than I could have ever hoped. Each and everyone one of us is someone who stood up and said, Something needs to change. That s why I m here. Nathan Schorr, Executive Director MAY/JUNE 2017 namiwisconsin.org 11

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