HUNTINGTON -- Twelve weeks meant a world of change in the lives of many people sitting in a circle inside Enslow Park Presbyterian Church on Thursday evening. The group attended its last session of the local family-to-family program through the National Alliance on Mental Illness last week.

More than 20 people from across the Tri-State signed up for the free program 12 weeks ago and considered it a success. All have friends or family with mental illness.

The program covers such topics as schizophrenia, major depression, panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. It reviews medications, talks about empathy and teaches communication skills. Another 12-week session will likely begin in January.

"It's been a wonderful opportunity to learn more. We have gotten so much information to help us to really know what our family members are going through," said Huntington resident Christy Groves, whose family has been repeatedly touched by bipolar disorder.

Groves said the connection to similar families means a lot, and she thinks many more families in the area could use such support.

"There's been a real bonding with the other members of the class," she said.

Groves' sister-in-law Patti Reynolds also participated. She wants others to know diagnosis is not hopeless. While in previous years family members may have been considered "eccentric or strange," she said mental illnesses are increasingly recognized and accepted.

Kathy DeVoge, director of the local program, said some of the participants plan to take the course again or are encouraging friends and family to enroll.

"The class is really an eye opener," she said.

DeVoge has a son with bipolar disorder. She said the program teaches people about different mental illnesses, what medications are available, how to talk to people and how to care for caregivers themselves. She said it also shows people that they are not alone.

Mike Snyder, another of the program's instructors, said participants draw from each others' experiences.

"They came in looking for some kind of support," he said.

Carolyn Barnett of South Point, Ohio, has a 7-year-old son diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Oppositional defiant disorder.

"I didn't know anybody whose child had that until I came here," she said.

Barnett said raising a child with hyperactive and defiant disorders takes a lot of strength. She said support from the group, education, and faith in God has made her stronger. By the end of the program, Barnett said she has learned how to better empathize with her son and understand his illness.

The program also has made a big difference in the life of Martha Martin. The Huntington woman has an adult son who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager.

"When I first came here, I was at my wit's end," she said of her decision to enroll in the program.

While she was overwhelmed and afraid at first, Martin said the program helped her learn how to work with her son during crises.

She said she and her son were hopeful about the future and now communicate with one another better than ever.

"I'm very happy and I feel so much better. It makes a big difference in your life when you have hope," Martin said. "I feel closer to my son than I have in many years."

DeVoge said the class also teaches participants how to ask "the right questions" of medical professionals.

She said the meetings can get emotional, but everyone learns a lot and finds a wealth of support.

"It's so intense you look forward to going to the next week. It's the most information you'll get," she said.

For more information or to register for the next session, call DeVoge at 304-736-2542.

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