Early career psychiatrists are an incredibly diverse group, but one thing that all ECPs seem to have in common is that they are at a stage in their careers where they are pressed for time. It seems almost perverse to write a column encouraging ECPs to take on one more time commitment, but I feel it is important for all ECPs (and all psychiatrists) to consider joining the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the Mental Health America (NMHA), or some other mental health advocacy group.

I will describe four reasons why I think this is an extremely important activity to take on:

• It broadens your perspective on mental illness.

We all have talked to our patients’ family members, and we all try to imagine the perspective of our patients and their support system. But few of us have experienced day-to-day home life with mentally ill relatives, and even fewer of us have experienced mental illness firsthand. Discussing the need for change in the mental health system with consumers and family members has given me a whole new perspective on mental illness. One experience, a debate at NAMI over a new involuntary commitment statute, taught me more about the family dynamics of illness than all of residency.

This should not be surprising. It seems we are often more candid with our colleagues than we are with our own physician. In the advocacy movement, the mentally ill and their families treat me as a colleague instead of as their doctor, and I have learned that this degree of confidence is a great honor.

Inevitably, the consumers who are able to be active in the advocacy movement are at a very different stage than those who are in need of my care. It is easy to forget that there are many highly capable individuals living productive lives despite their major mental illnesses. Working with these inspiring individuals recharges my batteries for my day job. It helps me maintain optimistic long-term goals for my patients.

• It keeps you informed about new developments affecting your patients.

You can read many psychiatric publications cover to cover and still not know about things that really make a difference in the lives of the mentally ill. For example, it was only through a local advocacy e-mail network that I became aware of a major political battle over a housing initiative for the mentally ill homeless of New York State. The advocacy movement counts its members in the hundreds of thousands, and some organizations, such as the Urban Justice Center Mental Health Project in New York City, do intensive work in small areas of mental health policy. By connecting with these organizations, one has access to vast quantities of information about mental health policy around the nation.

On the other end of the spectrum, at a grass-roots level, I have found local support groups and educational meetings to be a great place to spot burgeoning trends. For example, I heard the buzz about St. John’s Wort at local advocacy meetings before any patient asked me about it in my office. When someone finally did ask me about it, I still didn’t know the risks or benefits, but at least I was forewarned that this herbal remedy was being used in Europe for depression.

• It allows you to strengthen your political voice.

We all say we want to make the mental health system better; the advocacy movement has the political force and the organization to do it. When New York held public hearings about outpatient commitment, a treatment modality that has raised a lot of interest in the local psychiatric community, advocacy groups emerged as one of the dominant voices in the debate.

• It offers you a satisfying way to make a difference in the lives of individuals.

A few months ago, I participated in an "Ask the Doctor" panel at the general meeting of the local affiliate of NAMI. I was amazed to see many in the audience frantically scribbling down notes whenever I offered some simple psychoeducation. After the meeting, many individuals thanked me, and I felt for that moment like the best doctor in the world. Even if you only have one experience like that by joining the advocacy movement, I think you’ll agree it’s worth it.

The question you may ask next is what organization you should join. The two largest national organizations advocating on behalf of the mentally ill are the NMHA and NAMI. The NMHA was formed in 1909 and has more than 350 chapters. Although NAMI is only 20 years old, it already has 1,200 chapters and more than 200,000 members. In addition, there are groups that focus on specific disorders. Among these are the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) and Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). There are also many local organizations in various parts of the country. You can start with whatever group you know about locally. If you don’t like the chemistry, consider finding the closest affiliate of one of the national organizations.