Millions of Americans, including millions of Hoosiers, face mental health issues.

News 8’s Amicia Ramsey explores how these issues affect the Indianapolis community in her week-long “INside Story” series.

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INDIANAPOLIS (Wish) — More Hoosiers face mental health problems than you think. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than 260,000 people in our state suffer from schizophrenia and mental health problems. I have a serious mental illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder.

They may be your coworkers, neighbors, or family members. News 8 spoke with a woman about her journey to mental illness and a message of hope.

Dawn Davis is known for his big smile, but there’s a story behind that smile. During her teenage years, she says, she had trouble controlling her own mind and her emotions.

“I didn’t understand it at the time, but I knew something was wrong,” Davis said.

and by age 18, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder When borderline personality hindrance.

“I started self-harming. I had a bad relationship with food. I had a lot of depressive episodes,” Davis said.

She’s seen brighter days, but other days are still dark.

“For me, it involves intense emotions, rapid and extreme mood changes. You can go from laughing for a minute and enjoying life to crying and contemplating suicide, all in the same day,” says Davis. explained.

Every day is a new challenge, but Davis says he’s on the road to recovery.

Each person facing mental health challenges has a different idea of ​​what recovery means. For others, it may mean being asymptomatic.

For Davis, part of the road to recovery involves helping others.

“I think it’s very important to talk about your illness,” Davis said.

NAMI taught Davis how to talk to others about living with and recovering from mental illness, and has been a NAMI speaker for the past 12 years. in your own voice educational program.

In Your Own Voice, people like Davis share their stories in 60- to 90-minute sessions to change attitudes and stereotypes about people with mental health issues and end stigma around mental illness. I can.

“When I go around and talk to people, I try to make them understand that it wasn’t always easy.

Davis is also an advocate of NAMI’s Crisis Intervention Training Program, where he speaks to law enforcement about coexisting with mental illness and how to “improve the outcome of encounters.”

“They see what we do from their perspective. But when you talk about what we do from our perspective, it gives a different insight into it,” Davis said.

According to NAMI, there is a shortage of mental health crisis response services across the United States, and more police officers are working as first responders to people with mental health-related problems.

“I think I need someone to make a connection with me. This is someone you’re dealing with,” Davis said.

Despite the challenges, Davis says he will continue to spread awareness to others about mental health and the recovery process.

“There are many turns and twists, slides and ups and downs in the mental health system. Become.”

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