My problems with alcohol started in my 30s. I started drinking for fun and as a reward, I wanted to go out dancing and have a good time. I liked the escape and eventually, I began using alcohol as a way to cope with stress.

Journey staff members do a tremendous job working together. After my mental health crisis, they made me feel safe again and got me back into my apartment.

“My recovery story is picking up the bits and pieces of my life while finding mindfulness in everyday things like planning next year’s garden. It might seem mundane and trivial but if you’ve spent a lifetime in and out of Crisis Intervention clinics, making future plans is a big deal.”

John’s recovery story is like a winding road with twists and turns, but with Journey Mental Health Center’s help, John hasn’t had a psychiatric hospitalization since 1990 – nearly 28 years ago.

I am also a 37-year-old woman living with schizoaffective disorder bipolar type. I would like to tell you about my recovery through Journey Mental Health Center.

At age 14 Kristen started battling her diagnosis of depression. By her 20s, she was re-diagnosed with bi-polar II with anxiety. Today, she lives through physical health problems – fibromyalgia– that affect her mental state.

Forty-nine-year-old Roben R., a Madison resident, suffered from a lifetime of post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, and severe depression that led to homelessness, drugs, alcohol and petty crimes.