In 2015, I was a mother of three healthy children and married to a successful hospital executive. I seemed to have it all until delaying treatment for my mental illness caught up with me. I took over 200 pills in an attempt to take my own life. Luckily for me paramedics and caring professionals saved my life. I couldn’t hide any longer, especially since my husband was CEO of the hospital I was admitted to. Now my entire life was on display and everyone knew what had happened. The neighbors had seen the ambulance in the driveway and my secret was out.
Through medication and therapy, I have a beautiful life now. My marriage of 27 years is going strong and my children are thriving.
I came forward and wrote a book, An Impossible Life, about my struggles with mental illness. My daughter and I have been traveling to all 50 states (42 done so far), donating the book to local libraries, talking with government officials, mental health advocacy groups and doing news interviews. We have been working tirelessly to remove stigmas of mental illness and restore hope across the country.
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
Listen to your body, trust yourself, and stand up for yourself when experimenting with medication to find the right one for you. Yes, there will always be side effects. No one can avoid it. But, you are the one who has to live with the side effects day in and day out, not your doctor. You must weigh the pluses and minuses of the different medications and decide what is tolerable for you.
Be willing to talk about your mental health struggles openly and honestly. Be willing to seek professional help when needed. Be kind and patient with yourself. Be in the moment, not bringing the past with you or projecting the future. Be accepting of yourself when you make mistakes. Mistakes are what we learn from.
Mental Health challenges don’t have to ruin your life. Difficult, they are, but just like a physical illness they can be treated. Love yourself enough to take charge of your mental health.