“The voices would tell me not to say anything and they were mean,” says 57-year-old Thomas. It’s why he never told anyone about them. Instead he turned to alcohol to quiet the voices.

The drinking led to bad choices and eventually to jail. Thomas would serve his time, sober up, get released, then relapse and repeat the cycle again… and again…and again. Without your support, he would not have survived this cycle much longer.

Thanks to you, Thomas finally got the help he needed for both his mental health and addiction. What’s more, you provided him with a care team who would not give up or go away – no matter how many times he relapsed.

Early on, Thomas would relapse every 3-4 months as he struggled with sobriety and then he’d do something stupid which would put him back in jail. But the persistence of his treatment team made the difference. “You guys didn’t give up and kept on me,” says Thomas. “You came to see me and get me out of jail. [You] helped me maintain my sobriety after getting out of jail.”

With the persistent support of his team, Thomas finally felt safe enough to talk about the voices he was hearing. He was able to get the mental health treatment he so desperately needed, including medication, therapy and more. He learned healthy ways to manage his mental illness without turning to alcohol. “I learned that I have a mental health illness that can be treated but it takes time and with medication I can manage it,” explains Thomas.

Thanks to you, Thomas got the mental health care he needed to escape the downward spiral. He is now taking good care of his mental health, staying sober and staying out of jail.  “I cry of joy because finally I’m able to take care of my body and my mental health,” he says.

Your gift of mental health care saved his life – thank you!