Personal Stories

Too many times your mental health condition becomes a reality that’s impossible to escape. It’s easy to be on the other side of your mental illness and see the moments that changed you, but it’s a different feeling when you’re in the middle of it and suddenly it dawns on you: I need help.

My demons still haunted me, but I got wonderful help from my mom, sister, and psychiatrist. My family and I hooked up with NAMI and we went to support groups.

Believe it or not, I thank God I was in jail. It’s what turned my life of drinking, drugging, and partying into one filled with love and purpose.

Family struggle inspired Dixie Gamble to make crisis intervention training films for first responders.

Family-to-Family taught me how important education is to families, especially with the crisis in mental health care.

Two years in, he’s doing exceptionally well. He understands his situation and circumstances.

There is hope for everyone, even people who have been involved with the criminal justice system. In fact, most people who have mental illnesses have conditions that are manageable.

I decided to become an active part of my treatment, taking my medication, and working toward recovery.

I had felt like a failure for five years, but to be contributing and making a difference changed that.  

But now we have more hope than we ever thought we would and want to work to give others that hope and support.