Julie-Anne’s Story

After a rape at age 17, I was diagnosed with PTSD. I had also suffered bouts of Depression throughout my life but was ALWAYS in denial. I believed it was just a matter of thinking positive thoughts. I’d become an EMT at age 21 and was judgmental of Depression, suicide, and mental illness patients. I knew that the E.R. staff was as well. By 2008 I had been working in Emergency Services for 17 years. I was working as a 911 Dispatcher and, when I began to experience the signs of Depression, I refused to acknowledge them. Eventually they got bad enough that I did seek out a psychologist and was put on a anti-depressant.  I attempted to take my own life on December 7, 2008. I woke the following afternoon in the ICU on a ventilator. Once I’d done my 72 hours in the Mental Health Unit, I was evaluated by numerous doctors and declared fit for duty. I returned to work on Christmas Eve.      

For the next year I endured such incomprehensible discrimination at work that, in addition to depression, I began to suffer extreme anxiety any time I had to report to work.  Despite escalating my complaints up the chain of command, the discrimination became more and more severe. I was finally forced to leave my job on medical leave in January of 2010. I feared that my treatment in the workplace would soon return me to a suicidal state. Two months later I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. With a history of Depression, a Suicide attempt, and a chronic pain condition, the treatment I endured under the care of E.R. and Family practice Doctors would be enough to break most people. I somehow managed to hang on until I found a Doctor who understood all of my conditions and helped me get the pain of Fibromyalgia under control. After being home-bound for over a year, I finally decided to live again. I reached out for positive role models, published my story “Nothing but Respect,” and began living a productive life again. I will do whatever it takes to help others avoid the kinds of treatment I had to endure. We must do more to support those with mental illness! They need compassion not condemnation. Thank you for putting a public face on those affected by mental illness! We need more people like you to step up!