By supporting MHA, you've made an incredible difference in the lives of thousands of people. Meet one person you helped this year.
Just a year ago, 24-year-old Allie wrote a suicide note. “It was not my first time in an episode of depression, but I was determined to make it my last,” she recalls.
“Despite being only 24, my life felt over. I had no job and no career ambitions that seemed attainable,” says Allie. “I was living at home with my parents while watching my friends get high-paying jobs, move into their own apartments and develop romantic relationships. My life felt pretty hopeless.”
You gave Allie hope.
Allie felt alone, isolated and certain that no one could understand her pain and struggles.
“I remember sitting on my bed after I wrote the note, planning on how I would do it that evening or the next morning. I felt dizzy, as if I was watching myself from the outside,” she says. “Then I heard a knock on my door. It was my mom.
“My first thought was to lie to her. But something in me couldn’t,” says Allie. “I told her the truth, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I accepted help that I desperately needed.” Together, Allie and her mother sought out a team of therapists who would support Allie through her crisis and depression.
Your gift plays a vital role in recovery… Your donation helps programs like MHA’s Peer Specialist Training course, which Allie’s therapist referred her to when she began to envision a future career in the field of mental health.
You gave Allie an opportunity… An opportunity to discover a new career, a new path to recovery, and a new sense of self.
Because of you, MHA is able to offer a professional path for people with lived experiences of mental health issues. Our Peer Specialist Training helps students learn how to share their own lived experience so that they can provide peer support to others.
Once she began the 14-week training, the lingering sense of isolation began to lift. For the first time, Allie was able to talk freely and openly with others who understood her struggles firsthand.
For Allie, MHA’s Peer Specialist Training was the first step in her new career as a mental health worker. But perhaps more importantly, it was a pivotal step in her own recovery journey.
“Despite my history with depression, I no longer feel inferior to others,” says Allie. “Because of MHA, I now know that my struggles don’t make me weaker – they make me stronger.”
You made an immense difference in Allie’s life. Will you help make a difference in even more lives?
Thank you for your generosity, for making a difference, and for your belief in our work.