Canton League of Women Voters to Host Expert Speaker on Mental Illness – The Hidden Disease

Mental illness strikes one in four adults and one in ten children. It includes not only the more commonly known illnesses of depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, but also eating disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, panic disorder and others.

The League of Women Voters of Canton is hosting an event focusing on mental illness on Wed. April 25, 7:30 p.m., at the Canton Community Center multipurpose room, 40 Dyer Ave., Canton.

Marilyn Ricci, a Canton resident and a member of the Canton League, will be the speaker at this event. She is currently a member of the national board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and is president of the Farmington Valley NAMI CT affiliate. In the past she was president of NAMI CT, and has been active in NAMI since a family member became ill in the 1990s.

She will provide Farmington valley residents with up to date information regarding NAMI, stressing local needs and issues. There is a need nationwide to rid mental illness of stigma and to provide access to services, treatment, research and support. Quality of care of the mentally ill varies state to state.

This presentation will be useful to anyone who has an interest in learning more about these issues, especially if one has a friend or family member who has mental illness.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization of men and women, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

See http://canton.lwvconnecticut.org/index.html for more information, including on joining the Canton League.