If you live in Peachtree City, you probably followed the story of Jarod Neidlinger: the frantic searches through our greenbelts, the hope, the heartbreak, and finally the testimony his mother Lori shared in The Citizen last December. Lori’s words still ring in my ears: after the schizophrenia diagnosis “we felt completely alone and didn’t know of anyone else in Peachtree City with this diagnosis.”
Those of us who have watched a loved one’s mind slip into a dark tangle of delusion or depression know that loneliness all too well. The ER visits that end with more questions than answers. The legal hoops just to keep someone safe for 72 hours. The endless second-guessing afterward. Lori’s family lived every chapter of that nightmare – yet even in grief she found a fierce vocation: no family should have to walk this road by themselves.
Out of that resolve comes a new resource for our community. With the help of friends Julie Martin Lincoln and Cynthia Jones, Lori is launching a Support Group for Families & Caregivers of Loved Ones with Severe Mental Illness. We’ll gather Thursday, May 15 @ 6:30 PM at PTCUMC. The mission is simple:
“To offer local support to those with loved ones living with severe mental illness, providing families and caregivers with community resources and encouragement.”
If you need hard data, our county mental-health waitlists, crisis-line statistics, and hospital transport gaps speak volumes. But sometimes numbers numb us. Lori’s closing reflection from Jarod’s Citizen newspaper story says it better: “Many people now feel more comfortable sharing their struggles with mental illness. None of us are alone.”
That’s why this group matters. It’s a table where you can exhale without shame, swap survival tips for the 2 a.m. spiral, compare notes on guardianship paperwork, or just drink bad coffee with people who get it. We’ll have a brief presentation from NAMI-Georgia, resource lists for therapists and psychiatrists who actually return calls, and plenty of time to listen to one another.
Who should come?
- Parents of teens or adults battling schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, or other severe diagnoses
- Spouses, siblings, or adult children acting as primary caregivers
- Friends or church members who regularly step into the gap for someone in crisis
- Anyone who wants to learn how to support families walking this path
Lori once vowed, “You are definitely NOT alone!” Through this group, we get to make those words flesh – turning isolation into community, fear into shared courage, and heartbreak into hope. If your family carries this invisible weight, or if you simply want to stand with those who do, pull up a chair on May 15. Let’s prove, together, that help is not just a hotline away; it’s right here in a room with shared stories and friendly faces.
For our neighbors,
