NAMIWalks Greater Milwaukee Celebrates Resilience and Recovery from Mental Illness with Novelist Who Wrote on Manic High, Bill Zaferos

(MILWAUKEE, WI) – The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Greater Milwaukee is taking steps of support at their annual 5K Walk at Veteran’s Park on May 18^th at 11:00am. The annual fundraising event celebrates resilience and recovery of all lives affected by mental illness: People who live with a mental illness as well as the family and friends who support them. 90% of people who complete mental health treatment recover.

The issue of mental health is often unspoken due to stigma. Many are surprised to learn that mental illness affects 1 in 5 individuals – more people than cancer, heart disease, and diabetes combined. NAMI offers hope to individuals and families affected by mental illness in the form of peer support, education and advocacy.

Tyler Lucas, an intern for NAMIWalks Greater Milwaukee who recovered from bipolar after repeated psychiatric hospitalizations, appreciates how the NAMI Walk brings the issue of mental illness out into the open. Lucas, a senior in psychology at Marquette University, is public about his challenges, and how there is hope and help for mental illness.

Lucas said that “after my personal experience with mental illness, I knew that working in mental health was my destiny. I walk for my mom, I walk for myself, I walk for NAMI.” Lucas lost his mother to suicide last spring and will be walking in her memory along with colleagues from his mother’s workplace.

This year’s event will highlight the message of hope, featuring remarks by Bill Zaferos, Milwaukee novelist who recently released Poison Pen, written while experiencing a manic high. Zaferos is going public with his personal pain to help lift the stigma and stereotypes of mental illness. He said that bringing up his bipolar disorder can make people uncomfortable and eager to change the subject.

“I made a conscious decision that I need to tell my story because there are people out there like me who don’t know what to do,” said Zaferos.   They know something is wrong, but they don’t seek help because they don’t know if that would do any good.”

Registration and family-friendly entertainment begin at 9:30 a.m. with Morning Blend personality Molly Fay and novelist Bill Zaferos. The Walk steps off at 11 a.m.  Registration is free but donations drive mission work.  Registration and donations can be completed online at www.namiwalks.org/greatermilwaukee, by calling the NAMI office, or on Walk Day.

This year, NAMI Greater Milwaukee has a fundraising goal of $190,000. More than 700 participants have already registered and raised over $127,000.  Proceeds from the Walk fund core classes and support groups for people living with mental illness and their families.

About NAMI Greater Milwaukee

For 40 years, NAMI Greater Milwaukee has improved lives affected by mental illness through peer-led education, support and advocacy.  We offer national signature classes and support groups to people who live with a mental health condition as well as their family and friends.   There is no understanding like lived experience.   The distinction of our work lies in peers leading peers—mothers leading other mom’s whose children have a diagnosis, family member to family member, person living in recovery and mentoring another in their commitment to their mental health.  All facilitators have lived experience and have completed national training.   Each year, over 3,000 individuals participate in our classes, support groups or call to learn the best community resource to help them.   We are an affiliate of the oldest, largest grassroots organization in the US dedicated to improving all lives affected by mental illness.

Learn more at www.namigrm.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.