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World Mental Health Day Special: Navigating Outpatient Treatment
25 Plays6 months ago
Episode Shownotes:
Join me on this special World Mental Health Day episode as I delve into my personal journey navigating a PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program). Gain insights into the challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned during my time in treatment. Discover the importance of seeking mental health support and find inspiration in my story of resilience and hope.
What You'll Hear:
- Introduction: A brief overview of the episode's topic and the significance of World Mental Health Day.
- Personal Journey: I share my experiences entering a PHP program and what I went through
- PHP Experience: Delve into the details of the PHP program, such as daily routines, therapeutic interventions, and the support system provided.
- Finding Hope: Explore the moments of hope, progress, and personal growth experienced throughout the journey.
Resources for Moms Seeking Mental Health Support:
- Sol Well: https://solwell.co/resources
- Therapy For Black Girls
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): https://www.nami.org
- Postpartum Support International (PSI): https://www.postpartum.net
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
Seeking Your Own Village --> Join The Mom Space
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Transcript
Introduction to World Mental Health Day Special
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey, mamas. Welcome back to the Sew Well podcast. This is a special episode for World Mental Health Day, where I will be sharing what my experience was like going into a treatment program last year in 2023. I'm sharing just a little glimpse into my story, a little glimpse into my journey and the importance of why Sew Well exists. And so with that, let's jump right into today's episode. You don't want to miss it.
Entering the PHP Outpatient Program
00:00:30
Speaker
So I wanted to capture on podcasts, on audio, um what my experience was like going to a PHP outpatient program. So I'm not going to go into all the details of what led me into this place because that's a story for another day, but I didn't want to share with you what my experience was like. So During my intake process, I was asked a series of questions about my state of being, um who I have in my support network, signed a lot of documents. And then um from there, I basically went over a ton of questionnaires. I met with a psychiatrist. I met with a therapist who was going to be my therapist for the time, um for my time there. And so after that,
Daily Routine and Self-Healing Practices
00:01:26
Speaker
I was expected to show up every day five days a week um for seven hours and during that time I would participate in group therapy exercises as well as meetings with a therapist or nurse practitioner or a psychiatrist and we did a number of different therapies and exercises. I would say I experienced a mix of CBT, DBT, just kind of a whole lot of really self-healing practices and coping skill techniques and learning and real deep like work on myself and my mental health. So not only was I there to get stable um with medication and in a really healthy place,
00:02:14
Speaker
I was also there to really rediscover myself. And I actually don't like using the word rediscover, but it comes out as rediscover because I felt so lost going into that program.
Personal Journey and Self-Discovery
00:02:29
Speaker
And what that program did for me was allow me time to put the world away and focus on myself, which is something that I struggle And I'm using the word struggle because it is something that I still struggle with. Um, so I needed to, I needed at that time, the 107 days that I was there. I needed that time to focus on what is Autumn's story going to be for this next chapter of her life.
00:03:00
Speaker
She has been a mom, she has been a wife, a caregiver, a friend, a sister, a title, all the things, but who is she to herself? And that was a question I went searching for when I was in that program. And I won't say that by the end of that program, I had a true definition, right? Because this is a lifelong journey. But what it did for me was it helped me to stabilize. It helped me to learn.
00:03:25
Speaker
tools to be able to cope in a healthy way. And I'm emphasizing the word healthy because you can use a lot of things to cope with life. That doesn't mean that they're all healthy. um You can have people in your life who you think are supporting you, but you might learn that you're codependent and they're codependent and they're toxic.
00:03:46
Speaker
right um And all those things can be true at the same time while you're managing your mental health. And you have to learn to let those things, I don't want to say go, but you have to learn to find another way. And in that process, in my PHP process, it was about finding another way.
Career Transition to Mental Health Counseling
00:04:09
Speaker
Now,
00:04:10
Speaker
and After my journey there, I poured into my passion, which is so well. I transitioned my career into substance abuse and um mental health um as a peer counselor and currently working on being a certified alcohol and addiction counselor as well. And through that work, I've been able to take what I've learned to help others through their journey as well, which has always been a passion of mine. and so I'm so thankful that my experience and treatment not only literally saved my life, but it also gave me a new one. And then that essence, meaning I found that I am way much more than the life that I have built up for myself. And the life that I built myself up for myself is great. It's amazing. And I can also want more out of it and that's okay. And that's what I'm doing.
00:05:08
Speaker
I'm pivoting, I'm leaning into my purpose, I am cutting ties with people who no longer serve me or support me. I have set clear boundaries with each and every person in my life, including my kids. Yeah, you can have boundaries with kids.
00:05:25
Speaker
and Um, it wasn't a scary experience at all. So if this is something that you, that may have been, may have been offered to you, or you may have been considering like, I don't know what a partial hospitalization program is. I don't know what intensive care is. I don't know what it would be like for me. Um, I would ask questions. Um, now me, my experience is my experience. And I will tell you that there were lots of people that I met who had been to other places who did not have great
Challenges in Mental Health Care Access
00:05:56
Speaker
experiences.
00:05:56
Speaker
And that is why there has to be a shift in in the culture and the conversation and in the society of the types of care that is being given um and the access to it, right? There's just not enough resources, not enough funding going into these places. And some of them are state funded, which means they are not people are not getting the help that they need. they're they're ah farming farm places, right people come in they come out They're not getting help and there are places like the one that I visited that Was great things great for me, but I also had to recognize my bias um And my not my bias but my privilege and that I had a health insurance and my health insurance covered my my stay um But there are people out there who paying out of pocket just to be there um and I can and I know how difficult finances can be on your mental health and so
Mission of So Well to Improve Access
00:06:50
Speaker
Um, it is my goal and my purpose with so well to push forward the, the access to these resources and utilize the, our nonprofit to be able to put research and to activate on policy and all the things that we have in our five year plan. Um, we're going to do it. We're going to do it because, um, moms deserve it. And when moms thrive, family thrives and the world thrives and.
00:07:20
Speaker
That's what So Well is is here for. um It takes a village truly to raise a mother. I will say that I couldn't have done that PHP experience without the women that impacted me when they were there, without the mentors that I met there, the group facilitators, the doctors. It was a team of people. And it truly showed me that we are not meant to do life alone. And I don't want to do life alone. I want
Living with Mental Health Conditions
00:07:45
Speaker
to do it in community. I want to do it.
00:07:47
Speaker
Honestly transparently and I want to do it with joy. I want to find the glimmers in my day I want to get through the chaos. I want to thrive with my mental health because it's not going anywhere oh some of us are Diagnosed with the conditions whether it be mental health or chronic illness that you cannot change no matter what you do and so radical acceptance is accepting that this is a condition that I have and and but also I can live with it and I can cope with it and I can be happy with it.
Encouragement and Resources for Listeners
00:08:20
Speaker
And so um I wanted to put this episode out today on World Mental Health Day because it's World Mental to Health Day and we need to be talking about this. It needs to be shared. It needs to be spread.
00:08:32
Speaker
whether my story impacts nobody. I'm still going to share it. Whether it impacts one person, 100, 1 million, whatever. I hope that whoever is listening to this, that if you are struggling, if you are finding yourself in a place of hopelessness or not sure where to go, that you do reach out, that you do lean in. There are resources listed in the show notes. There are resources listed on soulwell.co. There are resources listed Um, other, another network that I trust is therapy for black girls. Um, and there are a number of other ones out there, like I said, listed in these show notes, but if that is where you are in life, know that there is help and there is healing on the other side. It all starts with making a choice to make a change in your life. And the moment you make that choice is when you'll see success for yourself and whatever that looks like.
00:09:26
Speaker
whether that be getting out of the bed today, whether that be going on a walk, whether that be finally making the appointment with the therapist or calling the suicide helpline, whatever that is that you need to do to make the choice to stay, to be here, to heal well, to thrive, do that. Do that, do that. And with love, I hope you heal well and I'll catch you on the next episode of the Sew Well Podcast.
New Membership Community for Mothers
00:09:58
Speaker
Are you in need of a supportive community? Then look no further. The mom space is here. A brand new membership community. Here you'll find connection, encouragement, support, and practical tools to navigate the ups and downs of motherhood. from expert advice, to virtual workshops, to meet and greets and exclusive resources. The Momspace is your go-to destination for support, inspiration, and a whole lot of mama love. So come join us and let's build a thriving community together. Head to sowell.co. community and get signed up today.