Last Thursday we were treated to Brett’s first presentation with us, entitled “ Taking care of yourself while taking care of others” 

     Brett began by sharing that we eventually need to set boundaries to take care of ourselves, while you are taking care of others. Brett shared his life story with us.  About 30 years ago, Brett was just out of college and working overtime to make ends meet.  It was around this time that Brett ended up in the ER with severe cluster headaches, which turned out to be a result of too much caffeine intake, and not drinking any other liquids. It was during this time he realized this was a result of paying too much attention to others needs, rather than his own.  Eventually he began to over extend himself, and he was also drinking too much, which resulted in the loss of his job. It was also during this time that things started to spiral even more.

     He started to realize that he truly wasn’t taking care of himself, but was still afraid to ask for help, even at his job. Reaching a new low point, he finally reached out to a therapist for help. This was the first real step he would take for his mental health. It was during this time that he also ended up in a hospital for care of his mental health.  During his stay he was eventually assigned a therapist and psychiatrist.  Brett shared the worst part of his stay in the hospital was the loss of many of his friends. Most of his friends just couldn’t support his mental health diagnosis.  After his release from the hospital, he was able to keep his job. But soon after he stopped seeing therapists and quit taking his meds. During this time he got to the point where he had racing thoughts constantly, and he didn’t really seem to be enjoying the life he had. 

     In 2019, while Brett was struggling, he would wear the same clothes for weeks at a time, and not take showers for several days.  It was during this time he did end up in the hospital again for some treatment.  Finally during this stay Brett did end up with the right help and skills to decide what steps he needed to actually take to get through life. After his successful stay in the hospital, Brett finally took the first vacation he had taken in several years. 

Over the past three years, Brett feels that he has really tackled his mental health head-on, and he feels like he is living his “best life” , more than he’s lived in a long time.  Bravo for you Brett! 

     Brett ended with sharing with us some quotes he had run across that are very meaningful to him. 

First a thoughtful quote by Kennith Allen Thomas; 

“ Stop braking promises to yourself, remember what you set out to do, and complete the mission “. 

And other meaningful quotes: 

“ The deepest pain I ever felt was denying my own feelings, to make everyone else comfortable “. 

“ Sometimes you don’t realize how much you’ve neglected yourself, until you make yourself a priority again “.