Elissa

Ask Elissa about herself and she’ll tell you she makes excellent chocolate chip cookies. She also loves listening to music, and after earning her master’s degree in the writing arts, she’s penning a novel—a fictionalized account of her own journey with mental health struggles that she hopes will help others.

After 41 years of therapy, I’m the best I’ve ever been. But it was a long road to get here.

In 1976, when Elissa was just 16, her best friend tragically died. It was around that time that she started hearing voices. The voices, which she describes as underlying noise—like having the radio on in the background—were highly critical of Elissa.

Every rotten thing was said to me. I didn’t know what it was. It wasn’t until after my father passed away, four years later, that I began thinking I may need help.

She would eventually be diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Her mother was her greatest advocate, but the rest of her family had trouble comprehending her condition.

It’s an invisible condition. You look normal and people can’t figure out why you can’t work or do other normal things.

Her first therapist, who she consulted with for two years, didn’t work out. There were other stressors in her life, too, including a family business that wasn’t going well. In her mid-20s, she was admitted to a mental health hospital—the first of five hospitalizations.

The year I got my graduate degree, I was sick all the time. I had outbursts. The chemicals in my brain were making too much dopamine. The result? Rage.

She had triggers. Whenever someone questioned her condition or tried to make her angry on purpose, it would set her off. Her anxiety led her into isolation. Elissa eventually found a psychiatrist she could relate to, and, along with medication, she felt well enough to integrate into society.

She began working at a food pantry and volunteering in nursing homes, reading to elders. Still, the stigma followed her. At one point, she lost a job opportunity because she was honest with the employer.

Some people assume mental health is the way it is portrayed in the movies. My experience is that those with mental health challenges don’t hurt others. They are kind-hearted people.

Elissa says it took four decades to feel the way she does now—she feels great. She has friends and wants others to know that finding the right therapy and medication makes a big difference.

“If this is the journey I was chosen to take, I’m proud of my accomplishments. I hung in there for a long time and I’m so glad I did. Life is worth it.”