Thursdays with NAMI: Overwhelmed by reports of gun violence? Learn how young people are making the world a better place

7 p.m. July 28, 2022

Aarna Prashanth had enough. The 16-year-old Cary resident personally experienced a mall shooting last year. Around the same time there was a rash of school suicides that shattered her community. Today she is the founder/Executive Director of Not My Generation NC, a group created by youth to take a stand against the epidemic of gun violence in America.

Every time we experience a tragedy involving guns, people with mental illness are drawn into the conversation. Yet, only about 4 percent of violence against others is caused by the symptoms of serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, according to an analysis by The Washington Post. Impulsivity, anger, traumatic life events such as job loss or divorce, and problematic alcohol use are all stronger risk factors. Most people with mental illness will never become violent, and most gun violence is not caused by mental illness. Mental illness is a strong risk factor for firearm suicide, which accounts for the majority of gun deaths in the United States.

Join us for this important conversation about reducing gun violence – and the stigma against mental illness that colors the national conversation about it. This event is free and open to the public. Find us on Facebook Live or register to participate on Zoom: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ry-Ox5JVTKqITT8Unp_YiQ