MOULTRIE, Ga. — Georgia’s Official Folk Life Play, “Swamp Gravy,” features a refrain in its signature song that may be familiar to readers: “I’ve got a story; you’ve got a story, we’ve all got a story to tell.”

Telling our personal story, especially if we have emerged victorious from a difficult situation, can have powerful positive implications, according to a press release from the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s Moultrie chapter.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) seized on research that supports the healing power of personal stories when they created In Our Own Voice (IOOV), one of NAMI’s signature programs.  

IOOV training is designed for adults with a mental health diagnosis who are stable in their recovery. Participants learn to present a first-hand account of what it’s like to live with mental illness, humanizing this misunderstood topic by demonstrating that it’s possible — and common — to live well with mental illness.

NAMI Moultrie, in collaboration with NAMI Georgia, recently hosted the two-day IOOV training. Twenty-four participants graduated with IOOV certification. The process was a major step in the personal recovery journey of each participant.

Colquitt Regional Medical Center provided the training venue. NAMI Moultrie provided refreshments, and NAMI GA provided lunches. Instruction was provided by state IOOV trainers Kenya Phillips and Ashley Smith.

To schedule an IOOV speaker or for more information on IOOV and other NAMI programs, contact Shannon Bell, shann.mbell@gmail.com, or Lynn Wilson, lynnbw45@gmail.com.