Sharing – Opinion: Mental health support saved my life. But what if I’d had to wait?

Similar to what Marissa wrote, I’ve had this same thought myself many times:

I’ve often thought about how different my story could have been if I hadn’t had that support — if I’d been forced to wait, or if care had been out of reach.

https://www.ctinsider.com/opinion/article/mental-health-ct-norwalk-20959431.php

I have told my story many times over. Not just the abuse I suffered as a child, or the depression I dealt with as a teen and young adult, but also my path to healing and recovery. That path included many advantages that other survivors do not have. I had parents to provide a roof over my head while I was unable to work. I had insurance coverage that made therapy available, including some rather intense weeks of daily appointments to check in for neurofeedback sessions, and a brother who worked in the field to help me figure out how to keep that coverage. I had people step up and help me get off the streets when I was at my worst. I had a friend who was a doctor who could pull strings to get me where I needed to be after my first fuque incident. I had a boss who supported me and made all the necessary accommodations to help me continue working and getting paid until I could no longer do so.

At any point in that journey, through all the ups and downs, not having support and access to a resource may have meant the difference between my healing and my not being here to type these words.

I think about that a lot, too. I think about how many unknown people have been lost who didn’t have that one connection or access to that one resource that could have helped them keep going. It’s a haunting thought. It’s a thought that motivates me to keep speaking and expect better from our society.

To go back to the post above, I’ll give Marissa the last word:

No one should have to suffer in silence.

Healing shouldn’t be determined by your ZIP code.

Luck shouldn’t determine who gets help.