I am a mother, daughter, mentor and support to individuals in need. My personal life experiences and my mental health helped shape me into the woman I am today. The mental health stigma is a social justice issue that I am passionate about. I know firsthand what is like living with a mental illness. I have suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression for many years. My mental health journey helped settle me in to the social work profession. It was when I attended college that I received authorization for my service animal.
The very first time I walked onto campus with my service animal Dragon, I was immediately labeled as mentally ill by my fellow peers. I felt like I was a sickness no one wanted to be around. I lost many friends and family in this process. God never left me, I began to pray and lean on him more.
My mental health secret was now out for everyone to see. I knew this process would be hard but I was determined to be mentally healthy. The first two quarters were the hardest, with stares and questions from my fellow student peers. After, I had individuals I didn’t know come to me and open up about their own mental health. I was able to direct them to on campus and community resources. I even walked with some individuals to the counseling center on campus. I didn’t feel like a disease anymore. I graduated college with a 3.0 GPA , Dragon by my side, and mentally healthy. God gave me the strength to help guide other students and make it through school.
I realized in this process that helping individuals was my passion. This created the opportunity for me to direct them to resources that can help improve their lives. I have grown as an individual, mentally and spiritually during this process. I was able to retire Dragon’s service animal vest, and am living a happy healthy life.