Help Melissa Shed Some Skin!

Living with mental illness is difficult, being over-medicated for it, and suffering from the side-effects of unnecessary medications is a different story.


My name is Melissa.
In 1999, I suffered a nervous breakdown that would lead me through 11 years of intense psychiatric treatment. Over the course of this decade-plus, I visited several mental health facilities, for both inpatient and intensive outpatient therapy programs. I attended therapy sessions, and I took two near-handfuls of various medications a day...none of which seemed to really help. Family and friends assume the psychiatric medications made my symptoms worse, and thus led to a more severe diagnosis: schizoaffctive disorder.
With this label, I was prescribed several heavy duty medications, many of which I had adverse reactions to.

Side effects would have me asleep at social gatherings. Some caused severe, scarring acne and hormonal dysfunctions.  
Adverse reactions increased the intensity of depression. I grew anxious. I isolated, often preferring "the voices" over people. I suffered from delusions and hallucinations, severe mood swings, etc.
...and I didn't have to.

It took eleven years to realize I had a choice in my treatment. I used to assume the doctor was always right—that he knew me better than I did. But in 2010, on a new friend's suggestion, I asked my prescriber to taper off of the psych meds. By 2011, I was down to one medication, and my psychotic symptoms subsided tremendously. Soon I was off all meds entirely, and in December 2012, the psychiatric diagnosis was rescinded.

I began to function normally again. The hallucinations and delusions stopped. Socializing became easier and more welcoming.

I ceased receiving social security disability benefits in the beginning of 2013.
Yet to ensure my good mental health continued, I chose to stay with a therapist until my written discharge in January 2015.

Yet with all this success, a problem lingered.

One major side effect of many anti-psychotic medications is weight gain. Early in my treatment, I put on approximately 200 pounds in the course of just one year. My body got bigger and bigger. My breathing and physical health were taxed. I thought I wasn't going to make it.

In May 2013—six months after my official mental health recovery—I met with my cardiologist, who told me I had progressed to “borderline diabetic”.
I was also told it wasn’t too late to change.

Immediately, I began an exercise regimen, and adjusted my diet and personal habits. As of July 2015, I’m down a whole person--150 lbs and counting!


Fat shrinks; skin doesn’t. The excess skin I still carry is a burden. Even with the dramatic fat loss, my legs are still heavy to lift and move. Not to mention, it’s not very pretty with my clothes off, which sadly affects my social life.

It’s been 3 years now since regaining my mental health, and I am now very stable. I am still medication-free and still going strong with my diet and exercise plan. I have a solid support system. I have a job and an apartment, and I am starting my third college semester this fall, pursuing a degree in psychology.

Through these concsious changes, I successfully and significantly lowered my blood pressure and cholesterol levels; I recovered from sleep apnea; and, I am no longer a diabetic.

And yes, I recovered from schizoaffective disorder...if the diagnosis was ever an accurate one.

And having kept the excess weight off, I am physically and mentally ready for plastic surgery. My doctor approves, but insurance only covers a portion of the procedures. My current job is just enough to pay the bills.

So I'm asking for your help. The out-of-pocket cost to remove the excess skin from my mid-section and thighs is approximately $5,765. My breasts and arms will be additional—but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. (I am asking for $6365 to cover any fees associated with the fundraising campaign.)

So I’m putting it out there! I’m asking you from the very bottom of my healthy, healthy heart for your help in raising this.

Thank you.


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