Meet my friend Al.

I met Al about 6 months ago in a group DBT class for adults. We both found our way there due to a multitude mental health issues including - but not limited to - self harm, suicidality, and emotional disregulation.

Al's path to mental health recovery is truely heroing. In a newly released podcast episode (more information below) hosted by her psychiatrist, Al recounts her years of struggles battling her difficult childhood, phsychiatric diagnoses, and a long list of medicial diagnoses that she didn't even know about until really doing the work with her psychiatrist. The episode covers her path through hell and her story of redemption and recovery.

(Before you continue reading, know that I really cannot do her story justice. It's best heard from her own words through the podcast, which you can listen to below. But, you can continue reading and get the basic info from me).

After dedicating her life to eposure therapy for OCD, a committment to treatment for bipolar, and continuing a daily fight against suicidality and self-harm, Al still faces four debilitating chronic illnesses (including two autoimmune diseases) that make it nearly impossible to get to work consistently.

During her treatment, Al was diagnosed with Gastroparesis, Celiac Disease, Hashimoto's Disease, and asthma. All of which combined have created significant strain on Al. She is currently out of food. She has -$205 in her bank account, and has over $2000 in medical bills due. She is unable to cover her basic costs like rent and utilities.

Al's story is yet another typical, but undeniably unfortunate story of the unreasonable cost of health care in the United States. After clawing her way out the depths of mental illness, Al should not have face the financial struggles she is now. The $9,000 we are asking for will cover her immediate expenses, and hopefully set up and savings for her.

Today we are asking you to donate to help Al meet her needs, and continue on her quest for a life worth living.

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Al's podcast episode - Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories

The magic of psychotherapy is that it brings forth transference— the patient’s most important and formative relationships, typically with early caregivers, are unconsciously re-enacted in the therapy room. And this transference necessarily creates countertransference, the therapist’s unconscious reactions to the transference.

Alexandria came to Dr. H originally due to her severe harm OCD. But over time, it became clear to him, and eventually to her, that she was increasingly, and unconsciously, trying to put him in the role of the abandoner, the critic, the emotional abuser. This process is called projective identification, and as you will hear, it played out very dramatically between them, and was a major factor in her plans to die.

Listen Here