Author Description

The phone rang in the middle of the night, on the other end was my sons friend. He was frantically trying to explain what just happened with my son. Tyler was being transported to the hospital, unresponsive and not breathing. I remember not being sure how to feel in that moment. Numb and fearful of what I would walk into once I arrived at the hospital. Then I did, and he looked so small next to the machines that were keeping him alive. Emotions collided within me, but I would have to stay strong. This would be the beginning of a long journey with my son as he battled mental illness and addiction. I would discover a broken system that offered very little resources available to him and a fight to the end to get him the help he needed. Through research I would find that we are not alone, many people know this journey. Four months after my sons overdose and bi-polar depression diagnosis, a local news outlet publishes a full-page article with a headline that stated that 1 out of 5 people in our state suffer with mental illness. The statistics surrounding the number of people with mental illness that are on the street or in prison are staggering. A very treatable disease that comes with an overwhelming stigma that keeps most from even seeking treatment. And for those that do, they have doors closed in their face and are left alone to try to overcome the feelings inside. Medications that come with a huge price tag, so many can't afford as it is difficult to maintain gainful employment or health insurance. For others, a dangerous path of self-medicating, that can compromise treatment. Denial of drug addiction making it difficult to recognize a co-occurring disorder for the individual, their love ones and the medical professionals treating them. Despite research showing that approximately 50 percent of individuals with Mental Illness have a substance use disorder. Many left hopeless and alone because their families and friends couldn't cope with the emotional roller coaster