9 minute read
My Journey with Mental Health
By: Amelia Moran
If people were to
look at my background, chances are they wouldn’t guess that I have severely suffered with mental health issues.
I’ve always had a roof over my head, food on the table, clothes to wear, great friends and a large, loving family. I was a typical girl. As a child, I loved to dress up, spend time with friends and play school. I had a passion to perform in shows and dances. I didn’t have a care in the world through middle school. At age 14, I started to see a change in my thinking, feeling and acting. I started to feel the need for attention, good or bad. I was extremely insecure and had no confidence. I began caring so much about what people thought of me. I was
Amelia with fiancé Michael Murphy. They plan to marry August 2023.
searching for more but I couldn’t figure out why or what it was. I obsessed over my weight and appearance, didn't eat properly, overexercised and abused laxatives and diet pills. I felt so in control but so out of control at the same time.
My family started to realize that these negative thoughts and behaviors were taking over my life. I couldn’t perform day-today tasks. I missed school and began failing. I slept and cried the majority of the days. I was so sad and
in such a dark place. I couldn’t figure out why. I was popular and pretty and had a great family. I was into cheerleading and dancing, and had many friends. I had everything yet I had no idea how I could feel so sad.
A few long months into my sophomore year of high school, I was diagnosed with an eating disorder, depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. By that April, I was admitted into my first inpatient treatment center. I thought everything would magically improve and that I would be back to my happy, healthy self in 30 days! I went through the treatment program, calling my parents every day begging them to come get me because I was “better.” I was eating the meals, so everything was fine, right? I thought it would be a quick, easy fix, but it wasn’t at all. I will always remember the first thing I was told in
Amelia with best friend from high school, Rachel Marichak.
treatment: “It’s not about the food.” But, how could it not be? It was the only thing I thought about and it made me feel horrible. When one is locked
Northeast Behavioral Health Care Consortium
The counties of Luzerne, Wyoming, Lackawanna and Susquehanna have partnered to create the Northeast Behavioral Health Care Consortium. NBHCC is a regionally focused, non-profit, Behavioral Health Organization serving medical assistance recipients. Our mission is to provide enhanced access to high quality, fiscally responsible, recovery oriented Behavioral Health Services. These positive outcomes will be accomplished through an intense, ongoing dialogue including consumers, families, providers and all other stakeholders.
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Amelia during treatment. Shown with brother Seamus and cousin Emily McDonnell.
in a unit, 24/7, one loses all connection to the real world; I woke up to go to therapy and I had specific bathroom and eating times. I was stripped of freedoms for such tasks as shaving my legs and even tying my own shoes. For the next six years, I was in and out of treatment and the hospital. I surrounded myself with people who made me feel useless. I pushed my family away thinking they were trying to hurt me, not help me. I attempted to overdose a few times; I received shock therapy three times a week; I hit rock bottom. I missed out on so many life milestones because of my suffering. I didn’t graduate from high school on time, perform in dance recitals, attend my senior prom or enjoy holidays with my family. The days that so many people recall as the greatest days of their lives, were actual hell for me.
I truly believe that if I didn’t have the support I received from family and friends, my life would be down a totally different path, or I might not be here at all. As many times as I wanted to give up, I’m sure they did too. I
“I am proud to still am so grateful for be here today, to with my family, them and enjoy the good friends and proud of myself that days and the bad.” my fiancé. They are my I perse- saving vered. I am graces. I talk proud to still be here to them when I’m trigtoday, to enjoy the good gered by my feelings or days and the bad. I real- even just looking for reized that I am going to assurance that everything have to work at this will be ok. They push me every single day. I’m to keep going. slowly learning to love and forgive myself, and how to cope with normal life stressors. I take my medication regularly, see a therapist and nutritionist weekly, joined a gym again, and have full and part time jobs. I have an amazing relationship If you are reading this because you have a loved one who is suffering, don’t give up on them. Support them, help them get through that bad hour or day. If you are reading this because you are suffering yourself, I hope you find
that little, tiny piece of you that knows that you can continue to push through. It takes lots of time and patience with yourself. You will have some great days, and then days you’re tired of fighting it. Just don’t give up. Get help so that you can see the light at the end of the tunnel too. H –Amelia Moran “ How would your life differ if you knew where to turn for help?
Not sure where to begin? Give us a call and lets figure it out together.
In a compassionate and confidential environment, we provide evidence-based, psychological and coun-In a compassionate and confidential environment, we seling services to individuals, couples, families, children, adolescents and adults. You can feel confident and comfortable moving forward with therapy at any of our 13 convenient locations in NEPA. We accept most insurance plans and a sliding scale is available to pay for your care.
570.961.3361
Offering tele-health and in-person services drjohngkuna.com • 13 Locations in PA
Janice Marie (Annibale) Mecca, PhD CPRP Director Assertive Community Treatment • Scranton Counseling Center
May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
Assertive Com-
munity Treatment (ACT) provides community based mental health services for individuals who experience severe and persistent mental illness. Services are provided by a multidisciplinary team of professionals to provide person centered services to an individual including crisis intervention services, supportive therapy, vocational rehabilitation, substance abuse treatment, case management and
nursing support. The goal of the program is to reduce symptoms of mental illness and improve functioning in all areas of life. Individuals who participate on an ACT team play an active role in their recovery and choose goals based on what is important to them.
What types of mental illnesses lead to an individual being involved in or requiring ACT?
ACT provides services to individuals who are diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorders who have not benefitted from traditional outpatient mental health programs and are at a high risk for hospitalization. Individuals involved with ACT services have a high utilization rate of crisis and hospital services. ACT allows individuals to receive intensive treatment in the community to decrease the need for frequent hospitalization. This service is unique in that appointments with the team, including psychiatrist appointments, are held in the individual's home or community.
How current is this type of care?
The ACT model began in the 1970s as a way to support individuals who were being discharged from mental health institutions. The program aimed to provide intensive support to individuals who were transitioning out of institutions. ACT services provide individuals receiving services with many of the supports that are offered in a hospital setting, including 24/7 access to crisis services from the treatment team, medication delivery, group therapy and the support of a registered nurse to help address medical concerns. This allows individuals to transition more readily into a lower level of care and gain the skills necessary for continued success in the community.
Two main points that you wish more people realized
about mental health: 1. Mental illness can affect anyone throughout their lifetime.
2. People with mental illness can and do recover and there is an abundance of support available to support recovery.
How do you define a
cludes diagnoses such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorders and major depressive disorders and result in substantial impair-
ness may cause significant symptoms, but do not cause a significant functional impairment in an individual's ability to carry out activities of daily life.
What can the People with mental illness community can and do recover and there do to foster is an abundance of support better mental health in a available to support recovery. region?
I believe the best ment of an individual’s way starts with eliminating ability to carry out major the stigma of mental illness life activities. These ill- and making resources nesses can interfere with readily available and easily an individual's ability to accessible for those maintain employment, seeking support. Another housing and relationships. important way is by having With treatment, individuals open dialogue around with serious mental illness mental illness and normalcan recover and be suc- izing the fact that many cessful in maintaining ac- people experience varying tive lives in the community. levels of mental health Other forms of mental ill- symptoms and seeking help is nothing to be ashamed of.
Personal:
I have always been interested in psychology and how the brain works, but my first experience in the field was working with individuals with severe mental illness in a residential facility. I found the work to be extremely rewarding and developed a genuine passion for supporting individuals in their recovery from mental illness. Being able to be a part of helping others to overcome obstacles and celebrating successes with the individuals I serve is the greatest benefit of the work I do each day. H
