The Mental Health Association of Southwest Ohio/Compeer held its annual candlelight vigil for Mental Illness Awareness Week earlier this month outside the Clinton County Courthouse in Wilmington.

Mental Illness Awareness Week is an opportunity to reach out to the community to educate about mental illness, to advocate for people with mental illness and to encourage people to seek treatment, according to a media release from Compeer.

The theme this year was inspired by the National Alliance on Mental Illness which was “Fight stigma first-hand by sharing your personal story.” Just about everybody has a story — if not of themselves than of a friend or family member — as one in four adults experience a mental health disorder.

A story on Gayle Channing Tenenbaum was read. She is a woman who suffered severe loss when she was a child and from the ages of 5 to 18 experienced physical, emotional and sexual abuse. During this time, she was able to break off and dissociate from herself, helping her to survive this difficult time in her life.

Dissociative Identity Disorder is associated with severe psychological stress in childhood, according to the media release from Compeer. It involves a disturbance of identity in which two or more separate and distinct personality states (or identities) control the individual’s behavior at different times.

When under the control of one identity, the person is usually unable to remember some of the events that occurred while other personalities were in control. The different identities, referred to as alters, may exhibit differences in speech, mannerisms, attitudes, thoughts and gender orientation. The alters may even differ in “physical” properties such as allergies, right-or-left handedness, or the need for eyeglass prescriptions. These differences between alters are often quite striking, the media release said.

Later, Tenenbaum went to college and majored in social work. She is married and has a family and has been able to positively cope with the depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and dissociative identity disorder she developed. She now uses this experience in her position as an Ohio child advocate working on behalf of abused and neglected children. Her story is an encouragement to others, said Michelle Rolf of the local Compeer program.

After the story was shared, others were encouraged to share their own personal stories. Many shared their appreciation for their Compeer friends who have made a positive impact in their lives. Ruth Huntley, a past Compeer client who died in May, was remembered with a moment of silence. The evening ended with a prayer offered by Ralph Willett.

Friends and a positive support system are an important part of the recovery process for mental illness. Compeer uses the power of friendship to help people with mental illness live happier, more productive lives. By sharing a few hours a month, you can make a difference, Rolf said.

If you would like to learn more about Compeer, contact Rolf at 513-721-2910. Compeer is a program of the Mental Health Association of Southwest Ohio and is funded in Clinton County by Mental Health Recovery Services of Warren & Clinton Counties and by United Way of Clinton County.