Class 8 

Class number 8 is a class all about thought disorders at the Nation Alliance of Mental Illness.  A volunteer named Brandy told me this is one of the most important classes for someone who loves, is related to or takes care of someone with mental illness.  Any person with a mental illness can suffer from a thought disorder or psychosis.  This class brings to life what goes on in the mind of someone suffering from a thought disorder.  In the simulation there are 2 groups.  One group becomes patients with mental illness and the other group becomes the mental illness itself.  The patients are directed by the prompter to follow specific directions and to draw a certain picture.  While the patients are trying to listen for directions on what to draw the other participants are voices, saying things like you can’t trust them, that someone is trying to hurt you and that people are evil.  Other participants sound like a doctor trying to up your dose on medication, or their mom sending a voicemail and another person sounds like a weather forecaster.  While completing this exercise the participants who are patients see what its really like to try and listen to someone while dealing with all the voices and distractions in their mind.  Some give up, some don’t try, some get lots of anxiety and some react like someone with mental illness does.  Brandy was so overwhelmed she left the room.  Her mother suffers from schizophrenia and she immediately felt true empathy for what her mother was going through on a day to day basis.  After the exercise is completed the teachers focus on empathy for those who suffer from mental illness, they highlight new ways of communicating things, like writing things down so the person with mental illness can come back to the information and to gain compassion.  A lot of people come into the class frustrated and angry with their loved one but then leave with empathy and new emotions for their loved ones.