Stories


Andrew Jensen’s Story

15: Double Suicide Attempt Survivor & Pro Golfer In Canada To Mental Health Ambassador // The Story Of Andrew Jensen Appeared in "From Rock Bottom to Rockin' It" podcast Andrew Jensen is a professional golfer and mental health Bell Let’s Talk Ambassador. In his teens, Andrew began to suffer with depression, culminating in a suicide attempt at 16 years old. In those difficult teenage years, golf was his refuge and the one place he felt meaning and purpose. It wasn’t until having to deal with the immense stress and pressure of professional golf that the ...

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Hailey’s Story

Hailey
The views and opinions expressed in the following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado. Hailey shared her moving mental health story at the 2020 Tribute gala. Take 3 minutes to listen to her story here or scroll to the bottom of this page. By: Hailey Kreiling “We made the decision to diagnose you with Anorexia Nervosa.” A diagnosis can change lives, and once I was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa everything in my life shifted. What led up to this diagnosis was a lifelong struggle for control over ...

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Shy? Or Social Anxiety?

young girl standing in a snowy field
The views and opinions expressed in following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado. By: Ally Zehring I suffer from anxiety and depression. What I don't talk about often is the kind of anxieties I stress about. I feel what I suffer from the most with my anxiety is definitely my social anxiety and how much it really does impact my entire life. For the first year in preschool I would never talk...at least not to adults. My friends would help me explain what I was talking about for me. And I don't think ...

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Amber’s Story

my battle, my hope, my recovery
The views and opinions expressed in following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado. Written Submission: Hi, I am Amber and I am a recovering addict with over six years clean and I have been diagnosed at Bipolar II, PTSD and OCD. My first stay in the mental hospital was in 1995 and my last stay was in 2003. In those eight years I was probably hospitalized 20 times. In 2003 I got on the right combination of medications. I have only been clean for six years even though I have been trying to get clean ...

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Beyond the First Year: Exploring the Impact of Postpartum Depression on Families

Naomi and her children
The views and opinions expressed in following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado. ----------- By: Naomi Segel, MSW "I never expected motherhood to be like this. I truly believed that once I saw her face I would be in love. The kind of love that was pure bliss, where nothing else would matter. No amount of crying or sleepless nights would matter because my love for my daughter would be so strong. I miss my old life. I miss laughing and spontaneous adventures with my husband. Mainly, I miss my independenc...

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Melissa’s Story

"I got stuck feeling angry because I can fight the sadness easier. And yet, along with the profound grief came this desire to learn as much as I possible could about mental health and suicide..." Brain Waver, Melissa discusses why and how's she's involved with the Brain Wave.  ———————————————————– DONATE TO MENTAL HEALTH COLORADO More than 500,000 Coloradans lack the mental health care they need. You can change that. For more than 60 years, Mental Health Colorado has led the charge in promoting mental health, ending ...

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Thomas: I found meaning

hands in a receiving pose
The views and opinions expressed in the following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado. Caution: This story mentions suicide experiences that may be upsetting to some readers.  The following entry was written by Thomas Truelson, author of For the Heart Cries Blog. February 16, 1995 "Until you know that life is interesting, and find it so, you haven't found you soul."                                            Geoffrey Fisher  -  Archbishop of Canterbury A few hours ...

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Katie’s Story

katie and her boyfriend enjoying the outdoors
"If my parents didn't have the resources to help me when insurance couldn't, I would have died a long time ago. And that happens every day..." Katie spent 10 years in and out of addiction starting at age 14. She felt shame for her depression, like a burden on her family. This led to self-harm and ultimately a suicide attempt. Katie ran into various barriers to getting treatment and navigating the insurance system. She had constant denials of care, which she had to appeal, for services that legally should have been offered. Mental Health Colorado is leading the fight for ...

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Adam: Increasing compassion

a wheat field on a sunny day
The views and opinions expressed in following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado. August 6, 2015 began like any normal day before it until my mom called my cell phone roughly around 11:00. I knew something was wrong because she rarely calls me unless there’s a problem. Little did know that my world was about to be turned upside down and changed forever. Mom’s voice was shaking as she told me that Dad had fallen at home and he was being taken to the hospital. Their neighbor, my mom’s first cousin, ...

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Lea: The light at the end of my tunnel

The views and opinions expressed in following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado. My story began at a rather young age. Mental illness runs heavily in my family – most notably mood disorders such as bipolar depression and major depression. I was directly impacted by my father’s struggle with major depression and subsequent suicide when I was nine years old. This traumatic loss at such a young age led me down a dark road as I found myself face to face with heavy thoughts and feelings that I can ...

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