Outreaching to other mental health consumers; a cry for quality care

by Laura in Florida

My Name is Laura, and I have had this awful disorder since I was a young child. At the time, my family had no idea what was wrong with me, I was just different. I did not have many friends and wanted to be by myself all the time. As I got older, I was in and out of facilities in Central Florida. They treated me like a dog, and that is the complete truth. I did not realize how they hurt you instead of helping you. I lost almost 20 years of my life and did not really realizing what was going on around me.

I had a daughter, and after so many electrical shock treatments my memory is not the best. That is frustrating. I now try and help other consumers the best way I know how, I know how they feel, and if you have never been there then it is impossible to explain. You are in constant pain, hear voices, and sometimes cannot even control yourself. Thank God for my husband. If I could get one thing through to the people who make our laws, this is something no one wants to live with, and I would sometimes rather be in another place than here because it really hurts. I lived in my bedroom for two years, until finally I was sent to another facility.

My life has not been normal by all means, and to think Florida could cut more support from us, when other states are adding makes me think that they do not have any feelings. My heart just breaks. If only someone would call me or talk to one of us, maybe they would understand. My doctor even cries with me, because she knows that the pain is too much. So please, from the bottom of my heart, do not do anything that will hurt the recovery for us in the future. We need help, and Florida just does not have it. I need you all.