Paul Huljich - the Bipolar Man Who Cured Himself - Promotes MWellA's Mission at the 5th Annual 5K Walk for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

NEW YORK, May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --Thousands of New Yorkers took to the streets last Saturday on a beautiful Spring morning to walk for those affected by mental illness, in the fifth-annual 5K Walk for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of New York City. Among them was Kiwi organic food pioneer Paul Huljich who came to support NAMI and promote MWellA which stands for Mind Wellness Awareness.

Last year, Mr. Huljich (www.PaulHuljich.com) published a book which revealed how he cured himself of Bipolar condition over ten years ago. Betrayal of Love and Freedom is a fictionalized account of Paul Huljich's personal journey of how a self-made multi millionaire fought his way back from the brink of insanity -- medication free, through diet, exercise, stress reduction techniques and other steps.

Participants started at Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport, snaked through Lower Manhattan and across half of the Brooklyn Bridge, then returned to the pier. The goal was to raise money for education, advocacy and support services for people who live with mental illness as well as raise awareness and address the social stigmas surrounding mental health issues.  In his first crossing of the Brooklyn Bridge, Paul Huljich -- who participated in last year's NAMI walk wearing a t-shirt that read "Don't Lose It, I Lost It" -- exclaimed that he couldn't be more proud to be part of something he truly believed in.  Said the author, "Everyone can fight back and empower themselves to rediscover their purpose in life."    

NAMI Walks NYC is a major advocacy and fundraising vehicle for NAMI-NYC Metro. As the only walk in New York City that addresses mental health issues, it provides us with a unique opportunity to increase awareness of mental illness and raise the financial resources necessary to sustain and expand their programs and services.

The reach and impact of NAMIWalks NYC is clear:

• The number of people who attend NAMIWalks NYC has quadrupled since 2007;
• Due to the Walk's success, NAMI-NYC Metro has tripled the number of free psychoeducation courses it offers, including the addition of NAMI Basics, a class for parents of children with mental illness;
• NAMI-NYC Metro reached more than 15,000 individuals and families with free education and support last year, an increase of more than 50 percent since the Walks began.

Under the MWellA tent Paul signed over 400 complimentary paperback copies of BETRAYAL OF LOVE AND FREEDOM and shared many lunches comprised of fresh organic roasted turkey filled rolls and bottles of water. Over the course of the picture perfect morning, he spoke to people of all ages who wanted to reclaim their power in life. Greatly moved by the experience and special connections made, Paul expressed, "I hope, most of all, that people will pause for a moment and reflect where they are in their lives -- and where they are headed.  We are all the same and while I wish for my story to give people hope, I want most of all to stress that prevention is far better than recovery."

Paul Huljich's next book entitled, "Stress Pandemic Cure: Nine Natural Steps" will be published this fall.  More information on Paul's mission and work can be found on the MWellA blog, www.MWellA.com.

SOURCE MWellA