This post is written by a Bridgehaven Member
We all have our own road to travel when it comes to dealing with Mental Health. Being the
stubborn man that I am, the path has been long and treacherous! Like many of you, there
have been potholes of depression. Speedbumps of anxiety that come out of nowhere. Then
there are the forks in the road. Sometimes it’s like driving the scenic route on a nice breezy
summer day. Other times you feel like you’re stuck in traffic, unable to move, ready to blow
a gasket! Every now and then, I do!
My car used to be jam packed with friends and family. Over the years however, I have
pushed those relationships out the door. For the cargo of doubt. The luggage of despair.
Don’t forget the empty seats of isolation. For years I buckled up and locked my doors and
let the world pass me by. If you sit long enough, the rot sets in and you lose your wheels.
No one wants to be broken down on the side of the road. But it happens. Always at the
worst time it seems! For me, it was hard to ask for a tow let alone find somewhere to get
repairs. When the gas dries up and the tank has a hole in it. After a little while your license
expires, and all the curves in the road make you decide not to renew.
Dealing with Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Schizophrenia has been a journey.
Especially when Diabetes is sitting shotgun! Then there is Chronic Kidney Disease and
PTSD from everything in the back seat. Surely I was on my way to the junkyard. The
voices in the rear view mirror telling me, “We can’t be fixed”. “Our engines busted!”.
Honestly, for a really long time, I believed, I couldn’t be salvaged. Until after a few pitstops
I came across BridgeHaven. Finding this place and the people in it has been knocking off
the rust since Day 1. Even though I’m new to the crew, I know I’m here for the long haul.
Not sure if my headlights are finally starting to work or there now might be light at the end
of the tunnel. Maybe it’s a little bit of both….