Free resources
We've hand-picked this set of resources that have proven to be helpful for families like yours.
Crisis services
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor.
Free 24/7 support at your fingertips.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish.
800-273-8255
Organizations
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
Treatment Advocacy Center
The Treatment Advocacy Center is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illness. The organization promotes laws, policies and practices for the delivery of psychiatric care and supports the development of innovative treatments for and research into the causes of severe and persistent psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Videos
I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help! by Dr. Xavier Amador at TEDxOrientHarbor
This is a great presentation by Dr. Amador detailing his lived experience caring for a sibling with schizophrenia and the development of the LEAP methodology.
Short Video: Mexican-American Family Recognizing Signs of Mental Illness
The video produced by the 'La Clave' project is a really great short film depicting a Mexican-American family who begins to recognize early signs of psychosis in their daughter.
The movie is in Spanish with English subtitles.
A tale of mental illness by Elyn Saks
Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong by Johann Hari
Books
“I'm not sick I don't need help” by Xavier Amador, PhD
Family caregivers are often bewildered, frustrated and driven to anger when they see a loved one walk away from treatment and insist they are not the ones who need help.
Dr. Amador's book is a truly profound and eye opening read for anyone who has experienced this. His book is a must read for anyone with a loved one who experiences psychosis.
You'll learn the true nature of "denial" and the practical tools to help your loved one even when help feels out of reach.
“Laws We Need to Know: Understanding Rules and Programs for Persons with Mental Illness” By Baron L. Miller, J.D.
Baron L. Miller is a practicing attorney in San Francisco, CA. He has decades of experience navigating legal issues affecting persons with mental illness.
His book, "Laws We Need to Know", provides an excellent overview of important legal considerations ranging from power of attorney to conservatorship to government benefits.
This book is a powerful guide for families to help them understand important legal considerations regarding mental illness.
“The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness” By Elyn R. Saks
In "The Center Cannot Hold", Elyn Saks details her journey through life as she suffers through severe schizophrenic episodes while struggling to progress her academic and professional careers on her way to ultimately become a well-respected lawyer, psychiatrist, and a professor at the University of Southern California.
Elyn's memoir offers incredible perspective into what it might be like to experience extreme paranoia, delusions, and hallucinations and how a person diagnosed with schizophrenia might perceive and be received by the world around them.