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I did not come to a mental health center to get better. I entered the doors to make my pain go away. My son and I were shot on the front porch of our home. The first year I endured seeing 53 different doctors, had 7 surgeries, spent 32 days in the hospital, had over 400 counseling, medical and therapy appointments, and had 2 suicide attempts (one by police). I lost my home, business, left a 23-year marriage, spent a month in a nursing home and moved into a group home for the following year. Along my journey I learned that I had disorders with names like Post Traumatic Stress, Major Depression, and Bipolar. At first I thought perhaps taking my medications would do the trick, but there was more to be done . I then thought my Recovery Specialists should just wave their magic wand and "fix me" but there was no wand.

Any psychiatrist or psychologist can tell you about the symptoms of mental illness. Medical physicians can tell you about physical disabilities. Only a person that has been down the road of mental illness, victimization, and physical disability can tell you how it feels and what it takes to recover.