Today's Steps Against Sigma Walk brings mental illness into light

YOUNGSTOWN

People struggling with mental health issues have lived in shadows of shame for too long, said Hope Haney. The Steps Against Stigma Walk today in Wick Park on the city’s North Side, aimed to help them finally step into the light.

Haney, executive director of National Alliance on Mental Illness of Mahoning Valley, said people who deal with mental illness, whether personally or because a loved one is afflicted, often feel like they’re alone in their fight and are too embarrassed to discuss their issues publicly due to the stigma often associated with mental health problems. NAMI offers support services and educational programs to help them find their way through the maze of confusion.

“We are not a counseling entity,” Haney said. “We are purely support, so people don’t feel so isolated.”

The Steps Against Stigma Walk is NAMI’s primary annual fund-raiser, and this year’s event, which was the ninth locally, was the largest so far. Haney said the 2015 walk drew 150 participants. The number grew to 300 the following year, 500 last year, and 700 this year.

Those rising numbers are an indicator that people are becoming more willing to talk about their mental health problems and seek help, Haney said.

Read more about the matter and today's event in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.