I decided to go into mental health because of my own experiences and the people who have been part of my life. I have seen how things like trauma, substance use, and instability can affect people and families. I have also gone through my own times of stress and big changes. These experiences taught me how hard it can be to reach out for help, but also how much it means when someone feels understood and supported. Working in recovery and youth support has helped me understand even more. I have been in groups where people shared their stories, and I saw how important it is for people to feel safe and connected. That is when healing can really start. Being part of those groups made me realize I wanted to help others find dignity and stability. I also learned how stigma and barriers can make it really hard for people, especially young people and adults dealing with homelessness or family problems, to get the help they need. Because of everything I have been through, I want to be a therapist who is compassionate and open-minded. I want to focus on what people are good at and what makes them strong, not just what they are struggling with. I hope the people I work with feel like their story matters and that they can decide what healing looks like for them. I have learned that trust takes time and that being respectful of people’s backgrounds is something you keep working on. In the end, my own experiences make me want to speak up for people who are not always heard and to help create systems that support people instead of judging them. I believe everyone deserves to feel safe and understood, and that is what I want to bring to my work as a provider. If I could change one big thing about mental healthcare today, I would make it more community-based and bring services right into places like schools, community centers, shelters, and clinics. I have seen how hard it can be for people to get help when mental health care is separated from the rest of life. It can feel scary, confusing, or just too far away, especially for people who are struggling with money, housing, discrimination, or living in rural areas. Not having insurance or a way to get there makes it even harder. When mental health services are part of the places people already go, it makes getting help feel normal and easy. People can get to know providers in places that feel safe and familiar, and they can get support sooner, before things get too hard. I think this would help people feel seen and understood, especially if the providers come from the same backgrounds and speak the same languages as the people they are helping. It is important to make sure that mental health care is for everyone, not just for people who already have the resources to find it. I believe the system should meet people where they are, in every way, instead of making people change to fit the system. Bringing mental health care into everyday places would make it feel more welcoming and real. I think everyone deserves the chance to get support, grow stronger, and do well, not just people who already have advantages.

I started using drugs and drinking at a young age. I wasn't even a teen before I started with both. I remember feeling like I was different before this and didn't like who I was even though I was still so young. The first time I got high, I felt different again, but this time I felt more relaxed and I didn't worry about anything. I had found a great escape from life and I enjoyed it. I know that drug and alcohol use affected me mentally, physically, and spiritually, but that lesson came later in life. I remember not really caring about myself and how I was sad and depressed often, but I kept going. I didn't realize that it's not normal for kids to drink and do drugs because it was a way of life in my house. My mom was an active alcoholic/drug addict as well as my stepfather. He was the man that introduced me to marijuana. I never understood why he handed me the joint that day, but he didn't hesitate to do it. He passed away back in 2012 and I don't know if he ever stopped drinking and doing drugs. My mom passed away in 2006 at the age of 58. They both died prematurely. That is the effect of drug and alcohol abuse. I kept using and drinking until I was 23. I was getting sick and tired of the way that I was feeling and had several things happen in my life that provided me the opportunity to become abstinent from all drugs and alcohol. I got involved with Alcoholics Anonymous and started going to meetings and meeting my sponsor. I have had a relationship with three other men in my life who chose to help me on my journey of sobriety. I was able to do my fourth step with one of my sponsors at the top of a mountain in New Hampshire. It was one of the most special moments in my recovery journey . I had a relapse in 2005 before my mom passed, but I started over again on January 16, 2006. I have been clean and sober since then and just celebrated 17 years this past January 16. I haven't had a drink since March 14, 1992, but my new sobriety date was a new start so that's my clean and sober date. I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have without the support of dozens if not more, people in my life. I am grateful to say that I am clean and sober and have helped dozens of other people too.

My mental health is what keeps me alive and functioning properly. I can't live a rich and full life when my mental health is suffering. I am medication compliant and that helps me to maintain my mental wellness. I also exercise and eat well, and that helps me too. I found out that I had Bipolar Disorder II back in 2016 and that changed my life. I spent many years suffering from bouts of depression as well as hypomania. I also ended up using drugs and alcohol to kill the pain that I had been experiencing. I realized later that the pain wasn't going to go away unless I confronted that pain head-on. I decided to stop drinking and using drugs and my life changed in big ways. My depression didn't just go away, I was being treated for it and the medication was helping. My hypomania came off and on for years and I learned how to recognize those episodes and to make sure that I was safe and had a support system. I have a mental health crisis plan that I will use if I need to. It consists of things that my loved ones can look for when I am struggling with my mental health. I am willing to be hospitalized if I need to be stabilized and I also have signs that they can look for should I start having an episode. Having that crisis plan is crucial because, without it, it can be a matter of life and death. I have a great support system that I can work with when I need more support and I am always learning more and more about mental illness so I can stay on top of any new information. I volunteer with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) so I can help others with their mental health and that helps me as well. I also work at a drug and alcohol treatment center on Mondays to help the clients that are there and help install hope in them, but having a dual diagnosis is not a death sentence. The work that I do for them is fulfilling and I'm grateful to have the opportunity to help them. I also am going to school to get my Bachelor's degree in Social work and after that degree, I plan to get my Master's and then become a Forensic Social Worker and work with the legal system. It's a dream that is starting to come true, one day at a time.