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Explore our FREE classes and community presentations designed to educate individuals living with a mental health condition and the family and friends who support them.
Support
We offer 2 FREE support groups: Connection for individuals living with a mental health condition, and Family Support Group for their family members and loved ones.
Advocate
Learn how you can advocate for a friend or family member with a mental health condition.

On April 6, 2021, while in the middle of North Dakota, I noticed an involuntary chewing motion of my teeth. It wasn’t noticeable to my husband, who sat beside me as we drove down Interstate 94 headed for Minnesota. I tried to stop it, but my efforts didn’t work. The motion went on and on as the miles passed. How could something like this be happening to me, a psychiatric nurse of 36 years who had counseled many people on the side effects of the involuntary movement disorder, Tardive Dyskinesia (TD), from psychotropic medications?
I told my husband about the chewing motion that evening at our hotel. He said he had not noticed and was surprised and upset that this was happening to me. All I could think about the entire vacation was hiding my condition at family gatherings. This was a tiresome job and emotionally exhausting. Every morning when I woke up, I checked to see if it was still present, and every morning it was. I couldn’t deny what was so apparent – I had TD. I am a woman of faith and immediately began praying for God to intervene in my situation and asked my husband, sisters, friends, and bible study women to join me. I wanted to live with TD gracefully and not bitterness for having the disorder.
When I returned home, I called my psychiatrist. All appointments were virtual because of COVID-19, but my doctor confirmed what I already knew. We discussed several different treatment options: stopping Abilify (the most likely medication I was taking causing TD) and possibly starting a medication to help with TD. I was told the chewing motion could intensify when Abilify was stopped — and it did — but we felt this was a good plan. I was prescribed Ingrezza (Valbenazine) and knew it would be expensive. However, I thought I just might be able to afford it since I had Medicare and supplemental Part D insurance. I came to find out it would cost over $1,000 a month and was denied coverage and instructed instead to deal directly with the manufacturer.
I believed the Medication Assistance Program at the clinic where I worked could help since my insurance didn’t provide coverage. Instead, I was instructed to contact Ingrezza’s manufacturer’s medication assistance program. Upon speaking with their patient assistance program, I was informed that because my insurance was Medicare, the only help they could offer was the encouragement to find a sponsor to pay for my medication and provide me with a list of information they needed from my psychiatrist to start the process. With a heavy heart, I spoke with my psychiatrist’s nurse and relayed what Ingrezza’s patient assistance program required. Through it all, I kept plugging along, jumping through hoops, and hoping against hope that there would be help.
Coming straight off Abilify put me into a depressed state and increased the intensity of the involuntary chewing movement. At my follow-up appointment with my psychiatrist, we decided to restart it at a low dose and increase it if needed. This was the best option for me because it worked very well as a mood stabilizer, and stopping Abilify didn’t make TD go away.
On May 18, 2021, less than six weeks after TD began, I checked for the chewing motion. This morning, it was gone. I was ecstatic and overjoyed. Yes, TD was gone and, to this day, hasn’t reappeared. I call this my miracle and am forever grateful to God for His mercy. I have a long-time friend and psychiatrist with whom I shared my miracle, and she told me it was one way to explain its disappearance.
Although my time with TD was relatively short-lived compared to others, I experienced great disappointment over the inability to procure the medication for my movement disorder. In all my life, I had never been confronted with this possibility, and I needed courage, hope, and grace amid struggle and uncertainty during this time. With a responsive team of people – my psychiatrist and his nurse, family, and friends – and my faith, no matter the outcome, I knew I could live each day determined to make the best out of what life had given me.
Our support groups are hybrid meetings – in person and via Zoom
CONNECTION SUPPORT GROUP: Beginning December 2023, every Thursday:
Thursday afternoon (1:00 – 2:30 pm)
We no longer have a Sunday Connection Support Group
FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP:
Tuesday evening (6:30 – 8:00 pm)
To participate via Zoom, email your contact information to info@namibillings.org and a support group facilitator will reach out to you with access.
Our support groups are hybrid meetings – in person and via Zoom
CONNECTION SUPPORT GROUP: Beginning December 2023, every Thursday:
Thursday afternoon (1:00 – 2:30 pm)
We no longer have a Sunday Connection Support Group
FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP:
Tuesday evening (6:30 – 8:00pm)
To participate via Zoom, email your contact information to info@namibillings.org and a support group facilitator will reach out to you with access.
Support NAMI Billings to help those
who face mental illness every day.
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Join thousands of Americans dedicated to
improving the lives of people with mental illness.
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Support NAMI Billings to help those who face mental illness every day.
(You will be redirected to PayPal)
Join thousands of Americans dedicated to improving the lives of people with mental illness.
(You will be redirected to NAMI.org)
Our NAMIWalks 2023 Fundraiser is under way.
Here are our sponsors to date:
Our NAMIWalks 2023 Fundraiser is under way.
Here are our sponsors to date:


NAMI Billings
955 Broadwater Square
Billings, MT 59101
Phone: 406-256-2001
E-mail: info@namibillings.org
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 1:00pm
