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Seven years ago, I was lying in bed for 11 months straight, had three hospitalizations, 22 ECT treatments and constant suicidal thoughts. Today, I have just finished my 15th month working as a service coordinator (aka case manager) in a very rewarding job. It is about time I started thanking people publicly for their help in my recovery.

They say it takes a village. I am now going to thank my village. This village includes my wife Valerie, my son Kurt, Dan Frey, Marvin Spieler, my psychiatrist David Yokell, my therapist Nancy Glimm, Baltic Street Mental Health Board, the Mental Health Association (MHA), the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), Community Access and myself.

Just one thing before I begin: I am sure I am going to forget some people, so please forgive me.

First my wife Valerie: I thank you for standing by me when I couldn’t stand for myself. I thank you for feeding me when I couldn’t feed myself. I thank you for constantly encouraging me to get treatment and for escorting me in my zombie-like condition to doctor’s appointments and ECT treatments and for visiting me EVERY DAY in the hospital. Most of all, I thank you for never giving up on me and for constantly telling me that you were proud of me, even in my darkest of times.

My son, Kurt: Thank you for showing me unconditional love even when my illness kept me away from you for six months—you never held it against me. When I first saw you after all that time, you treated as if I had seen you just the day before.

Dan Frey: Thank you for introducing me to the wonderful world of support groups and showing me the empowering effects of writing. It is mainly due to you that I have written so many articles and poems over the last seven years.

Marvin Spieler: Thank you for introducing me to the wonderful world of public speaking. It is mainly due to you that I changed from a person who rarely spoke to anyone outside of family or doctors to someone who has given over 50 speeches to groups of mental health consumers, their families and mental health professionals.

My psychiatrist David Yokell: Thank you for recommending ECT treatments, but never pushing them on me. Thank you for always listening to me and treating me like an adult, not just a patient, when discussing medication issues.

My therapist, Nancy Glimm: Thank you also for always treating me as an adult and for your consistent approach that we are working as a team on specific goals for my well-being. Without your assistance I might still be involved with self-mutilation, never have lost those 46 pounds or never learned that arguments can actually be constructive if done right. And these are just three of many who have helped over the years.

NAMI, Baltic Street and MHA: Thank you to all three organizations for providing me with unlimited opportunities to volunteer to help others as well as helping in my own recovery. At the beginning, all I was capable of doing was stuffing envelopes. Little did I know that this would grow into working on helplines, facilitating support groups, speaking to groups, writing for periodicals and serving on two boards of directors.

Community Access: Thank you for taking a chance on me and for giving me the opportunity to work at a job where I actually get paid to assist other mental health consumers. This is by far the most rewarding job I’ve ever had, and, as corny as it made sound, a job in which I honestly feel that I can make a difference, whether its helping an individual with their entitlements or visiting them in the hospital if they’ve had a setback. I also thank you for your commitment of hiring consumers as paid employees.

Myself: I must thank myself also. It does take a lot of courage and fortitude for anyone to battle mental illness. No matter how much help and support you have (and as you can tell I have a lot) you must help and support yourself also.