Area residents step up to support those with mental illness

Lompoc resident Charlotte Garrett has battled mental illness, beat substance abuse and overcome homelessness on her journey to recovery. But her work isnt done.

Today, she and more than a thousand Californians are fighting the stigma and fear tied to mental illness at the inaugural Mental Health Matters Day on the south lawn of the state Capitol in Sacramento. Pioneers of the mental health movement will speak, and attendees will watch videos, submitted by student groups across the state, dealing with suicide prevention and ending the stigma of mental illness.

Garrett hopes to make the road to recovery a little easier for others by erasing misconceptions about mental illness and making treatment more accessible.

If we have mental illness and let it define who we are, were really nobody, Garrett said.

Today, Garrett is dressed in the official color for the statewide mental health movement, with her lime green nails, eye shadow and a big lime green hat in tow.

About four years ago, Garrett arrived at the Lompoc Recovery Learning Center after being diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and completing substance abuse treatment. She didnt know much about her condition or about treatment options before she sought help. She had been isolating herself from others and had turned to drugs to drown her symptoms.

But when she got to the Lompoc center, her own ideas about herself and her illness changed.

I had a phobia of being around other people. I was so used to being alone, Garrett said. But they just greeted me.

Now, Garrett embraces her role as a peer support leader, running dual-diagnosis and wellness groups every week at the peer-run center. The role also has helped her reach out to others and see the

importance of dispelling the fears that surround mental illness.

Original post:
Area residents step up to support those with mental illness