The journey to better mental health begins with a feelings check.

Students, who have been diagnosed with mental illness, were given a sheet of faces representing different emotions and asked to tell the group how they felt. Guilty, frustrated, exhausted, excited and hopeful were among the answers.

"This is the a-ha class because the light bulbs start flashing and you realize this is why you act the way you do," said Lisa, who teaches the class with Tess. Both women have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and both asked their last names not be given for security reasons. "I would not be here on a Friday night if this was not good."

The class helps those diagnosed with mental illness understand how to begin recovery, how to make treatment work, discuss their feelings, and overcome stigma.

Friday's lesson concentrated on mood disorders, and students learned that 20 percent of the U.S. population will suffer from one or more depressive episodes in their lives, making depression the most widespread mental health problem in the nation.

"I'm a firm believer that no one has only one mental illness," said Tess with a laugh. "I started out with one and now I'm up to five."

Both teachers said that at points in their lives they had lived life with an alter-ego using a different name, acting out inappropriate financial, sexual and substance abuse behaviors.

One student, who brought her husband for support, said she was only recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder after struggling with mental illness for years. She now has trouble controlling her mania, which keeps her from sleeping. All students and family members asked their names not be used to protect their privacy.

"The more education you get, the better you will be able to say here is the mania coming on," Tess said.

One student said she has suffered for years, beginning on the day her first husband committed suicide upon his return from the Vietnam War. The student said she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, which had not even been given a name at the time, and became suicidal herself.

To this day she struggles, blaming herself for her husband's death, thinking of what she could have done differently to stop it, she said.

"One thing we need to stay focused on is the here and now," said Tess. "We say, 'I should have done this, I should have done that.' Our goal as individuals with mental illness is to know why we've done what we've done, and then we have to think about today, because today is what we can control. What's done is over and you can't change it."

Lisa encouraged the students to challenge the negative thoughts that come to their minds.

"I work to change the self-talk that puts me down into a hole where I can't get out," she said. "I know what triggers it 99 percent of the time."

Students were encouraged to study their individual illnesses and become experts in managing their own health. They were encouraged to work closely with their doctors and not be afraid to ask questions.

The class can also help family members understand what the patient is going through, Lisa said.

"Since my mom came to this course, it has given her a different understanding of mental illness," she said.

In an interview, Tess said she wanted the public to know that those who have been diagnosed with mental illness have a place to go for help.

The classes are "a great place to gain a better understanding of what your mental illness is and how it affects yourself and those around you," she said. "This is a safe place. If I could go on the mountain and just shout it, I'd tell people this can literally save your life, and I speak from personal experience."

For information on BRIDGES and other mental health support classes in Utah Valley, call Tess before 9 p.m. at 766-9876 or e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it