Don't let depression be a bully: Take it on

By Dodie Melvin, Executive Director, NAMI Knox Licking County Ohio | Jul 2, 2022

According to Webster a bully is someone who tries to coerce someone who is vulnerable. On school playgrounds a bully might be a kid whose purpose is to be in power of others by making hurtful taunts and threats that hold others in fear. Bullies can be found most anywhere in our world today – in the workplace, in a domestic situation where one of the partners wants to be in control and hold the other as a hostage, cyberbullying. Our health and mind are affected.

Is mental illness mental or a biological disorder?

By Dodie Melvin, Executive Director, NAMI Knox Licking County Ohio | Apr 29, 2022

It has always been a question in my mind why a "mental illness" is not described as its real name – depression, bipolar, anxiety, etc., just as diabetes or cancer is? Whenever a violent incident occurs, we see headlines like, "The suspect has a mental illness!" These headlines, in my opinion, throw a bad light on mental illness in general and contribute to the stigma that surrounds it. This stigma creates shame, and that shame often stop people from seeking treatment who may need it.

Recovery – a process of change

By Dodie Melvin, Executive Director, NAMI Knox Licking County Ohio | Feb 17, 2022

There are about 18 different definitions for recovery in the dictionary – simply put, recovery is the regaining or returning of something – like getting healthy after being sick.