Betty Nitchie first walked into a family support group in Concord twenty-four years ago, searching for answers and a way to cope with the weight of a loved one’s mental illness.
Through her time with the group, she found ways to navigate New Hampshire’s complex mental health system and better support her loved one. More than that, she found connection and the powerful realization that she wasn’t facing it alone.
“It tends to be really hard sometimes to get people what they need,” said Nitchie.” “It’s definitely emotionally draining at times and frustrating at times to navigate that system.”
Today, the roles are reserved. Nitchie is the one offering comfort, guidance and hope to others walking the path she once traveled.
For the past nine years, Nitchie has served as the official facilitator of the same group she once turned to for help, guiding families through their journeys as part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness New Hampshire.
“When you attend a support group, whatever you’re dealing with, somebody else in the group has probably dealt with something very similar,” said Nitchie. “It’s just knowing that somebody else out there has been through it, is going through it, and you’re not alone.”
Nitchie, a former school guidance counselor in the Merrimack Valley School District, says her years of experience have helped her maintain emotional boundaries — but that doesn’t mean facilitating the group’s meetings is always an easy task.
There are still moments when someone’s story feels deeply overwhelming, she said.
Over the years, Nitchie has been dedicated to helping families facing mental health challenges because she wants more people to understand that mental illness is real and deserves the same care as any physical illness.
At 76, after years of service, Nitchie has decided it’s time to pass the torch to someone new who will lead the group as its primary coordinator.
Liz Hodgkins, deputy director of NAMI NH, said people have attended this group for many years because of the support, consistency and safe space Nitchie has provided for them to share both the celebrations and heartaches of their journey with a loved one who has a mental health condition.
“She’s non-judgmental. She’s listening, always being able to provide the best, up-to-date information that she can for her group,” Hodgkins said.
In 2022, NAMI NH also honored Nitchie with the Volunteer of the Year award.
In addition to volunteering at NAMI NH, she volunteers with AARP during tax season, helping people with their tax forms, and with the Capitol Center for the Arts.
Above all, mental health is personal for Nitchie, and while she acknowledges improvements over time, she hopes to see even greater progress from increased funding to reduced stigma.
“We need more equity with physical health. We need the insurance piece of it,” Nitchie said. “We need more understanding of what it involves, and how it’s treated and what’s best for people. We need to break the stigma. We do need to provide the funding.”
