If Hal Adams had known about the early stages of depression, this poem may have served as an early warning sign about his son’s struggle.

WHEN HAL ADAMS TALKS about eliminating the stigma associated with mental illness and replacing ignorance with knowledge and compassion, he is speaking from experience. The Menifee retiree learned firsthand how devastating the effects of mental illness could be when his son was diagnosed with a severe case of depression. Over the next 12 years, Adams got an up-close look at how effective treatment and medication can change lives.

"I was one of those people who knew nothing about mental illness and, even more so, didn't really want to know," said Adams, now an active volunteer in local mental health circles. "I did not know anything about it until I experienced it in my own family." Seeing his son suffer, eventually accept treatment and ultimately regain control over his life sparked Adams to become an advocate for improved mental health services. As a volunteer, he teaches families how to cope with mental illness and facilitates support groups for people wrestling with the same problems that once vexed him.

This month is especially busy for Adams and other mental health advocates. May is Mental Health Month, an observance that began in 1949, is designed to draw attention to the importance of good mental health and the resources that are available to people dealing with a mental illness. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors has adopted a resolution declaring that May is Mental Health Month in Riverside County and has called for greater awareness of mental health issues.

"You always look forward to it," said Richard Devine, Chairman of the Riverside County Mental Health Board. "It's a fun thing where we celebrate the month." Like Adams, Devine also was introduced to mental illness through a child's suffering. His 28-year-old daughter was diagnosed 14 years ago.

"I didn't know where to go or how to seek services," Devine, of La Quinta, said. "We kind of fumbled along until we found the Mental Health Department." Devine also speaks out to help ensure that other families do not have the same trouble they had. He encourages everyone to become better informed about mental illness and reminds people that many with mental illness are in recovery, are connected to their communities and lead rich, satisfying lives.

Given the prevalence of mental illness, "it's not going to take long until everybody is touched by it," Devine said. "We're striving to keep programs alive and vital so as many people as possible can be treated."

Adams makes presentations to community groups and helped co-sponsor a film festival in the Temecula area that screens films that deal with mental health issues. He and Devine are active in asking local governments to approve proclamations declaring May is Mental Health Month and promoting events that provide resources to families who may be dealing with a mental health issue.

Adams' son was a 32-year-old illustrator with a successful business in New York when he suffered what Adams called "a mental break." He eventually lost his business and his apartment and returned home to California, where he was diagnosed with major clinical depression. "My attitude at the time was, 'So, you're depressed. Get over it,'" Adams recalled. But Adams and the rest of his family soon learned that mental illness is a serious affliction. Adams said his son suffered for 12 years before eventually reaching a state of recovery through therapy and medication.

"He was really pleased he had found a good psychologist who was able to help him deal with it," Adams said. "He was in a good recovery state." Tragically, only a year later, in 2009, Adams' son learned he had lung cancer. He died 11 days later, at the age of 48. Ironically, when the cancer diagnosis came, "I think he stayed a lot more stable than we did," Adams said.

Reeling from the anguish of losing their son, especially so soon after he had gotten his depression under control, Adams and his wife began attending a support group. Through that group, they heard about the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and began attending Family-to-Family classes dealing with mental illness. The Adams' eventually went through a training program, and now they teach the Family-to-Family course that helped them so much. They also are active as facilitators in local support groups for people dealing with mental illness.

"I think it saved our lives, actually, being educated," Adams said. Adams wishes he had known about the Family-to-Family program when his son was first diagnosed with depression. Just getting his son to talk about the problem was a major challenge, Adams said, to say nothing of figuring out what to do next. "It was apparent that there was a major problem. He would sleep for three days," Adams said. "But when you are ignorant about something, it's difficult to deal with."

Adams said he kept quiet about what his son was going through, even to his own family. "We are a very close family, but I wouldn't even discuss this with my brothers for a long time because of the stigma," Adams said. "We just don't like to admit that there is mental illness in our family. We don't mind telling someone we have diabetes, but if it is something with the brain, we don't want to admit it."

That experience with ignorance and embarrassment was difficult to endure, Adams said, but it now helps him better relate to people he works with in the Family-to-Family classes and in support groups. Most people who come for help have the same lack of knowledge he had and are dealing with a great deal of stress, Adams said. He talks to them about the importance of therapy and, when appropriate, medication, as well as how to help loved ones help themselves. He encourages them to join a support group or start one themselves.

Adams feels comfortable talking about his son's mental illness because his son once told him that if talking about it would help someone else, he was okay with that. "Education about mental illness is the absolute best thing in terms of dealing with it," Adams said. "You learn that there are a lot of other people dealing with this, and you realize there is such a thing as recovery."

MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA has promoted the observance of "May is Mental Health Month" since 1949.

Riverside County Department of Mental Health

www.rcdmh.org
www.networkofcare.org

For immediate assistance, call: CARES Line - 1.800.706.7500
Family Advocates Program - 800.330.4522
Substance Abuse Program 951.782.2400
Parent-to-Parent Telephone Support Line 888.358.3622
Parent Support Services - 951.358.3622
www.NAMI.org
NAMI Coachella Valley - 888.881.6264
NAMI Mt. San Jacinto - 951.765.1850
NAMI Temecula Valley - 951.672.2089
NAMI Western Riverside - 951.369.2721