Aruna Miller shares family story, making mental health a priority

Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller gets personal, shares family experience with mental health disorder

Maryland’s lieutenant governor aims to ‘bring mental health into the sunlight’

Updated: 5:38 PM EDT May 23, 2023

When Aruna Miller was sworn in as Maryland’s lieutenant governor, she listed several priorities, including mental health at the top of that list.For her, the topic is very personal.”Just like myself, everybody’s been touched with a mental health disorder, whether it’s at a personal level or someone that we know and love,” Miller told 11 News.For Miller, that someone was a central figure in her life.”Ever since I was a child, I’ve been touched by it by the fact that my father suffered from bipolar disorder,” she said.Not as much was known about mental health when Ram Katragadda immigrated to the U.S. from India. Miller described how, as a young child, she thought it was normal to have the extreme highs and lows her father would go through.”There would be times when he would be manic, up all night for several days, calling people. (He was) very charismatic, knew exactly how to talk to people, amazing. And then, all of a sudden, he’d crash and he wouldn’t talk to anyone for weeks on end, just sleep. That’s how I grew up, my siblings and I,” Miller said.Katragadda’s mental illness greatly affected the stability of the family. Miller said it’s a feeling that sticks with you.”During the moments when he had his depression part of his bipolar disorder, he wouldn’t go to work, and I remember his employer would be calling, and we didn’t know what to say,” Miller said.| VIDEO BELOW: Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller’s inaugural addressHe lost his job and more.”When you lose your job, you lost a part of dignity in you. He lost a lot of friends, and again, none of us understood what he was going through,” Miller said.Katragadda was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when Miller was a young adult, and he continued to struggle for the rest of his life. Now, as his daughter takes the role of Maryland’s lieutenant governor, she is using her platform to help erase the stigma and shame she knows so well.| VIDEO BELOW: Moore, Miller sworn in to office on historic day”(I want to) bring mental health into the sunlight. There shouldn’t be a stigma associated with it. This isn’t a moral failure on the individual. This is a chronic health condition just like any other health condition an individual may face,” Miller said.Miller said sharing her story publicly is the first step into that light.”This is something that one individual shouldn’t deal with privately. We should talk about it openly and collectively, and how the community can help them,” Miller said.Katragadda died in 1999, but Miller said she believes he would be very proud — not just of her political career, but of her willingness to talk about his struggle with mental health. She believes having a society more willing to talk about mental health is a huge step forward.Maryland Peace of Mind links: Mental health resources to find helpWBAL-TV’s initiative, “Maryland Peace of Mind,” was created to address the traumatic and lasting effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of our community, and to help normalize the conversation surrounding mental health.211 Maryland: Maryland’s Helpline, Call 211 press 1, is free and confidential, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It provides information services for individuals and family members facing mental illness and/or substance abuse.Officials from Baltimore City and three surrounding counties are joining forces with organizations as regional response teams to facilitate the new 988 helpline. Call 988 for more information (Story)National Suicide Prevention Lifeline — Call 800-273-8255Text “HOME” to 741741 for help via the Crisis Text LineMaryland Psychiatric Society — Use “find a psychiatrist” to access the database and search by patient type, county and area of interest.Maryland Public Mental Health System — Provides inpatient and outpatient mental health services for individuals with mental health illness for those with Medicaid and for others. Because of the severity of their illness and their financial need, some services within the benefits package may be available. There may be a small fee or co-pay required for individuals non-eligible for Medicaid.Black Mental Health Alliance-BaltimoreMentalHealth.gov — Information on a variety of mental health topics and resources.Pro Bono Counseling ProjectAmerican Academy of Pediatric Psychiatry — Information for families and childrenAmerican Psychiatric AssociationNIH: COVID-19 — “Do I Need Help?”NIH: Coping with COVID-19 and mental healthFamily Aware: Resources for LGBTQIA+ PeopleADHD resourcesNCAA: College athlete mental healthNIH: Tips for talking with a health care provider about your mental health211 Maryland: 211 Health CheckMorgan’s Message: Supporting student-athletes at colleges, high schools across the countryBullying: Stop Bullying on the SpotEating Disorders: National Eating Disorders Association Helpline — 800-931-2237Help for Domestic ViolenceMaryland Network Against Domestic Violence: Find Your Local Domestic Violence ProgramHelp 4 MomsThe phone number for the National Maternal Mental Health Hot Line is 833-9-HELP4MOMS. You can call or text that number 24/7. It is free and confidential.Peer SupportOn Our Own of Maryland: Wellness and Recovery OrganizationsHelping veterans with mental health, PTSDThe Veterans Crisis Line connects service members and veterans in crisis, as well as their family members and friends, with qualified, caring Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat or text messaging service. Call 988 and press 1 to talk to someone, or send a text message to 838255 to connect with a VA responder. You can also start a confidential online chat session online here.How to connect with care for veterans needing help coping with PTSDThe following information is provided by the VA Maryland Health Care System.For enrolled veterans at VA Maryland Health Care System: Veterans can call 410-605-7000, extension 57417, to schedule a mental health triage appointment. Veterans can also go to the Mental Health Triage Walk-In Clinic at the Baltimore VA Medical Center located on the sixth floor. The clinic opens at 8 a.m. daily, except on federal holidays.In addition, veterans can contact their VA primary care team by phone or secure messaging through My HealtheVet. Those veterans who are already engaged in mental health services at the VA Maryland Health Care System are encouraged to talk to their provider for a referral to PTSD specialty care.For veterans not currently enrolled at the VA Maryland Health Care System: Sign up online here or go to the facility to enroll.If the situation is an emergency, veterans can go to the emergency department at the Baltimore VA Medical Center, or call 911. Veterans can also access the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, press 1 (24 hours/7 days per week). Chat online with the Veterans Crisis Line or send a text message to 838255.VA Maryland Health Care System Trauma Recovery Program ServicesThe VA continues to meet with veterans virtually or in person. The Trauma Recovery Program focuses on providing short-term PTSD treatments based on evidence, with the goal of helping veterans return to valued activities. For more information about the VA Maryland Health Care System’s Trauma Recovery Program, call 410-637-1230.IF YOU ARE NOT A VETERAN:The National Center for PTSD has information for veterans and non-veterans on how to find a PTSD therapist.Caregiver StressCleveland Clinic — Caregiver BurnoutMayo Clinic — Stress ManagementAlzheimer’s Association — Caregiver StressJohns Hopkins Medicine — Family Caregiver Toolbox and Resources