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May 15, 2005
Dear Chad’s Band Walkers and Sponsors,
I am writing to THANK YOU for supporting NAMI and also for the support you’ve given my parents during this difficult time in my as well as their lives. Sometimes I wonder if what I’m going through is actually harder on them than it is on me. I really don’t remember anything before age 5 years or so, so technically, they’ve known me longer than I’ve known myself! Anyway, one thing I’m positive about is that NAMI helps them a great deal in coping with and understanding my mental illness.
In the past 8 years I have been hospitalized four times and jailed three. During those times, I met many people with varying degrees of mental illness and the overwhelming majority of them, in my opinion, were really nice, good people. However, most of them, myself included, had committed criminal, dangerous and down right stupid acts. It really is sad. The true criminal is mental illness itself. In my case bi-polar disorder is a thief. It has stolen my sanity, peace of mind, and two of life’s greatest gifts: happiness and time. Between periods of incarceration and many days of not wanting to get out of bed or off of the couch, I’ve already lost years.
Hopefully, today’s event will raise the level of awareness in this country, and people just beginning to suffer will seek help before learning the hard way, as I have. If you’re battling mental illness, YOU CANNOT WIN ON YOUR OWN!
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR GIVING YOUR TIME AND SUPPORT
Chad Flinn
