Stories
Amy: They don’t bring you casserole
The views and opinions expressed in following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado.
We caught our son Blake smoking pot when he was barely thirteen. I naively believed we could love and parent him out of it. We would educate him on the numerous reasons why drug use would negatively impact his health and potentially shorten his life. We presented the potential consequences, getting kicked out of lacrosse, or school, or worse entangled with the law. If not the future consequences, maybe the loss of privileges ...
Karolyn: Dr. Momma Bear
The views and opinions expressed in following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L8JUNxAGY8&feature=youtu.be
What I most want to convey about this brief video is this: Jacob is OK. Hope, love, and kindness got us to the other side. My deepest gratitude for the unconditional love of family, friends, teachers, medical providers, counselors, neighbors, our rabbi and spiritual community. For the support of work colleagues, kind strangers, compassionate policemen, ...
Chris: Isn’t mental illness a call to be otherworldly?
The views and opinions expressed in following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado.
It’s Friday night and I’m taking an empty pizza box out to the dumpster behind my apartment building.
Out the back door and into the frigid night, the first thing I see as I turn toward the dumpster is my neighbor squatting against the side of the building, a lost look in his eyes.
My neighbor and I have a sort of incredulous bond. He knows my secret and I know his. I know he has bipolar disorder and he knows I ...
Marty: I get to live in the now
The views and opinions expressed in following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado.
Casual drinking, professional disappointments, boredom, socializing, the anxiety of never living up to my college degree, unaddressed family issues—these were the things that led me to alcohol.
I thought it was “normal” when my drinking increased – that I could handle partying a couple of extra days a week. But when I needed to slow down, I couldn’t. I could stop drinking for bits at a time, but the cycle ...
Laroy: Faith got me through
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 first experience with the mental health system was the last week of June 1980. I was at a church camp on top of Grand Mesa outside of Grand Junction when I unknowingly ingested a small amount of PCP (Angel Dust). I had a severe reaction and was in and out of psych wards for the next three months until I was placed on Thorazine and recovered quickly. I went on to graduate from high school and attended college and ...
Nancy: I never give up
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 started when I was 13 years old. Prior to starting junior high school, all was well. I earned excellent grades, I was very social and popular, and I was a great athlete. All around, I was a very happy kid. Suddenly, something switched. I felt different, uncomfortable, unsure of myself, and I lacked self-confidence. I became, instead, a very unhappy kid. What I didn't realize at the time was that I was now living ...
Allison: My long road to 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.
I was first diagnosed with major depression at age 15, after a suicide attempt. I was hospitalized for three months in an Adolescent Psychiatric Unit. I spent the next 25 years dealing with major bouts of depression, anxiety, anger, and suicidal ideation. I became addicted to drugs and alcohol while trying to self-medicate. I've been hospitalized six times, attended a 30 day rehabilitation center, and lived in ...
Diane: Psychological care for cancer patients
The views and opinions expressed in following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado.
Cancer. An ugly, frightening word. Of all the words in my vocabulary, it’s the word I hate most. Typically, when I say the word, I precede it with an adjective that’s not appropriate to print.
I had a run-in with intermediate stage breast cancer in 2015, and I am a different person now. A woman with six fewer axilla lymph nodes, a thicker head of hair and chronic lymphedema in my left hand, but I am alive and ...
Dotti: Surviving my son’s mental illness
I now feel a freedom I have not experienced since I stood on top of that mountain in Colorado so many years ago. My journey has turned out differently than I had anticipated, but I appreciate a wisdom and understanding I had not known before.
David: From Hopkins to homeless
The views and opinions expressed in following story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mental Health Colorado.
After completing 4 years at the University of Northern Colorado for my Bachelor of Science, 1 year at Johns Hopkins University for my Masters in Health Science, and 2 years into my Ph.D. in respiratory medicine at the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, I thought I had complete control of my life. Specifically, my career in aerosol respiratory medicine. I had published my first paper in a ...
