Close Up Radio Spotlights Author Dr. Nanette J. Davis

Bellingham, WA - Most families are unprepared for severe mental illness. Sociologist and advocate Nanette Davis, Ph.D. wants everyone to know that mental illness is not only a mental disorder, but also a physical disease. “The topic of mental illness is slow to percolate through our culture. Through my books and promotion, I’m working hard to educate everyone about the illness side of mental health.”

Dr. Davis shares, “My sister was diagnosed with schizophrenia; my son, bipolar disease, both of which are just not mentionable topics. Only now are we beginning to be able to talk about severe mental illness as a brain disease that we just don’t understand enough about. In my latest book, Raging Currents: Mental Illness and Family, I lay out the process I went through, first with my sister back in the 60s, and then with my son from the 1980s through today.

Dr. Davis has published eight academic books, and authored The ABCs of Caregiving—Words to Inspire You, Part 1 (2013) for those caring for a wounded warrior, parent, or spouse. The ABCs of Caregiving—Essential Information for You and Your Family, Part 2 (2015) offers practical suggestions on home health, advocacy, aging in place, community, assisted living, and more. Her third book, Caregiving Our Loved Ones: Stories and Strategies That Will Change Your Life (2013) shares blueprints that will help alter the course of a loved one’s illness.

Furthering her commitment to community, Dr. Davis is one of the founders of Bellingham At Home, a non-profit membership run entirely by volunteers.

For more information about Nanette Davis, please visit http://www.abcsofcaregiving.com