Love Mental Health
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My name is Katie. I am in recovery from an eating disorder, depression, and suicidal ideation.
My name is Katie. There was a time I would have rather killed myself than tell my friends and family that I was mentally ill.
My name is Katie. During my 4 months in outpatient treatment from November 2010- March 2011 I lost two friends, also in treatment, to suicide. I miss them dearly.
My name is Katie. I got the treatment I needed, and I am a survivor.
My name is Katie. I have a question for you: Most of us would donate money to a friend, or even a stranger, to help with expenses from cancer treatment or car accident, but would you donate money to help a friend, or a stranger, to help with expenses from mental illness treatment?
Through this GoFundMe page, my goal is not about money. My goal is to prove the point that it is not selfish to raise money for mental illness treatment, to inspire others, and to give mental illness the same respect as physical illness.
I will be an active part of the movement to help society recognize mental illness as a disease that needs to be treated by doctors. A disease that is expensive to treat. A disease that takes years out of people's lives because of time spent in treatment. A disease that kills loved ones. A disease that almost killed me.
I am one of the lucky ones. I have friends from treatment who were not able to stay in treatment for as long as they needed because insurance stopped covering the expenses, and it is too expensive to pay the full cost out of pocket.
Mental illness is a lifelong disease, so six years later and I am still paying for my medication, bills for each psychiatrist visit, and the occasional round of therapy I might happen to need. I am okay with doing these things because I am glad that I am no longer afraid to reach out for help when I need it.
Today, I am applying to get my Master's Degree in Counseling. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Counseling Psychology, but a bachelor's degree is not enough for a career in the mental health field. I wish to spend my life helping people with mental illness feel comfortable with who they are and live successful lives.
HOW THIS IDEA STARTED:
Yesterday (11/30/16), I was out to dinner with my Mom when we noticed a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis in the restaurant. The fundraiser was to pay the hospital bills of a little girl who received a lung transplant to cure her Cystic Fibrosis. My Mom and I decided to donate because the proceeds were going to such a beautiful cause. We were touched by the little girls story, the people who volunteered their time, and the people who donated items. We were in awe when our waitress told us they raised way more than their $10,000 goal.
The next day, I went to work per usual (I'm a parapro at a middle school). The class was discussing mental illness as a precursor to reading the short story "Flowers for Algernon". The class talked about the stigma attached to mental illness; specifically how we rarely, if ever, see fundraisers for it.
That brings me to this moment when, all of a sudden, I had an epiphany,
"Katie, you have hospital bills from being in treatment for mental illness. Why don't you try to raise money?" Then I thought, "No, that's selfish”.
Wait a second. I was just falling into the stigma attached mental illness. I realized that if I act on this idea I will help prove to people with mental illness that we are capable of ending the stigma and we matter.
FINAL WORDS:
The money I raise will be used to replace the money taken out of my college funds for my treatment. Any money raised beyond my goal will be donated to either another individual's treatment costs or mental health research/awareness.
MY GOAL: $10,000
Please share this post to help end the stigma.
Together we can make this the FIRST gofundme page for mental health to go viral.
Thanks everyone!!
P.s. If you think you may be struggling from a mental illness this is my personal message to let you know that you are not alone, and you are loved. If you need someone to talk to, whether you suffer from mental illness or know someone who does, do not be afraid to reach out to me or seek help elsewhere.
My name is Katie. There was a time I would have rather killed myself than tell my friends and family that I was mentally ill.
My name is Katie. During my 4 months in outpatient treatment from November 2010- March 2011 I lost two friends, also in treatment, to suicide. I miss them dearly.
My name is Katie. I got the treatment I needed, and I am a survivor.
My name is Katie. I have a question for you: Most of us would donate money to a friend, or even a stranger, to help with expenses from cancer treatment or car accident, but would you donate money to help a friend, or a stranger, to help with expenses from mental illness treatment?
Through this GoFundMe page, my goal is not about money. My goal is to prove the point that it is not selfish to raise money for mental illness treatment, to inspire others, and to give mental illness the same respect as physical illness.
I will be an active part of the movement to help society recognize mental illness as a disease that needs to be treated by doctors. A disease that is expensive to treat. A disease that takes years out of people's lives because of time spent in treatment. A disease that kills loved ones. A disease that almost killed me.
I am one of the lucky ones. I have friends from treatment who were not able to stay in treatment for as long as they needed because insurance stopped covering the expenses, and it is too expensive to pay the full cost out of pocket.
Mental illness is a lifelong disease, so six years later and I am still paying for my medication, bills for each psychiatrist visit, and the occasional round of therapy I might happen to need. I am okay with doing these things because I am glad that I am no longer afraid to reach out for help when I need it.
Today, I am applying to get my Master's Degree in Counseling. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Counseling Psychology, but a bachelor's degree is not enough for a career in the mental health field. I wish to spend my life helping people with mental illness feel comfortable with who they are and live successful lives.
HOW THIS IDEA STARTED:
Yesterday (11/30/16), I was out to dinner with my Mom when we noticed a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis in the restaurant. The fundraiser was to pay the hospital bills of a little girl who received a lung transplant to cure her Cystic Fibrosis. My Mom and I decided to donate because the proceeds were going to such a beautiful cause. We were touched by the little girls story, the people who volunteered their time, and the people who donated items. We were in awe when our waitress told us they raised way more than their $10,000 goal.
The next day, I went to work per usual (I'm a parapro at a middle school). The class was discussing mental illness as a precursor to reading the short story "Flowers for Algernon". The class talked about the stigma attached to mental illness; specifically how we rarely, if ever, see fundraisers for it.
That brings me to this moment when, all of a sudden, I had an epiphany,
"Katie, you have hospital bills from being in treatment for mental illness. Why don't you try to raise money?" Then I thought, "No, that's selfish”.
Wait a second. I was just falling into the stigma attached mental illness. I realized that if I act on this idea I will help prove to people with mental illness that we are capable of ending the stigma and we matter.
FINAL WORDS:
The money I raise will be used to replace the money taken out of my college funds for my treatment. Any money raised beyond my goal will be donated to either another individual's treatment costs or mental health research/awareness.
MY GOAL: $10,000
Please share this post to help end the stigma.
Together we can make this the FIRST gofundme page for mental health to go viral.
Thanks everyone!!
P.s. If you think you may be struggling from a mental illness this is my personal message to let you know that you are not alone, and you are loved. If you need someone to talk to, whether you suffer from mental illness or know someone who does, do not be afraid to reach out to me or seek help elsewhere.
Organizer
Katie Sweeney
Organizer
Elburn, IL