We recently connected with Sheri Thomas and have shared our conversation below.
Sheri, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
“Two-Pound Baby Wins Life Fight,” was the front-page headline of the Jefferson City, Missouri Post-Tribune on February 21, 1962. That baby was me, and the article celebrated my release from the hospital after months of struggling to survive.
After being incorrectly diagnosed with an intellectual disability, I was finally diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a young child.
I worked as a journalist and magazine editor before transitioning to a successful career in sales and marketing. I was appointed to my first disability commission in Maryland in 2001.
In 2014, I was hospitalized and first diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but I refused to follow up with psychiatric treatment or take my medication as directed, which led to a much more serious bipolar episode in 2019 which almost cost me my life. This time, I listened to my doctors, took my medication, and more importantly, accepted my diagnosis. Today, I take my medication as directed and continue to see my psychiatrist on a regular basis.
Before my own mental health diagnosis, my advocacy had primarily focused on removing the stigmas surrounding physical disabilities. Since 2019, I have focused most of my attention on removing the stigmas surrounding mental health.
In my book, IMBALANCED, I offer Mental Health Tips that Have Changed My Life. Here are some tips about Advocacy and Acceptance:
A Mental Health Disorder Is A Condition Just Like Any Other.
If a doctor diagnosed you with high blood pressure and advised you to take medicine and get diet and lifestyle counseling to manage it, you would. You wouldn’t be ashamed and afraid to share your condition with others. A mental health issue (or any other disability or condition) is nothing to be ashamed of. It needn’t define you. It is only part of you. For example, “I love sports, I wear glasses, I have high blood pressure, and I am bipolar.”
The More We Talk About Mental Health, The More Comfortable Others Will Be Hearing and Talking About It.
We have no trouble talking endlessly about our physical health when we get together with family and friends, “I just went to see a new cardiologist. My friend just got diagnosed with cancer, etc.” But we don’t open up about our mental health. This needs to change or more people will suffer, and even more tragically, die in silence. Now, I have no problem saying that I’m bipolar or mentioning that I have an appointment with my psychologist. By being open about it, we can help to remove the stigmas and fears surrounding mental health.
Most importantly:
GET HELP. If I can help one person get help when they need it, or in an emergency by reaching out to a family member, neighbor, friend, their doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist, or calling 988, the new national Suicide and Crisis Hotline, or 911, sharing my story will have made a difference.
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or thoughts of suicide, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 988.
Help is also available at: NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness )at 1-800-950-6264, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., ET. Or in a crisis, text “NAMI” to 741741 for 24/7 confidential, free, crisis counseling.
For a free digital copy of my short memoir, IMBALANCED, email me at imbalanced.book@gmail.com.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I have written a new Disability Memoir, IMBALANCED, which traces my journey from a front-page headline in 1962, living with cerebral palsy and bipolar disorder, to my current role as a disability advocate fighting to remove the stigmas surrounding physical disabilities and mental health.
To help as many people as possible affected by physical or mental health issues, I offer a free digital copy of my book upon request by emailing imbalanced.book@gmail.com.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Persistence
2. Determination
3. Acceptance of my Mental
Health Condition
Advice:
No one chooses to be depressed or have a mental health condition.
A serious mental health condition will not just go away on its own. Just as you would not treat your own broken leg, you need mental health professionals to treat a serious mental health condition.
Get Help in an emergency by calling or texting 988, the National Suicide or Crisis Hotline, or 911.
Your Life Matters. You are Worthy.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My mother, Carol, was my biggest champion. She did not accept the doctor’s initial diagnosis, which labeled me as having an intellectual disability at 15 months old.
She fought to have me properly diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and she fought to have me enrolled in regular classes in the 1960s (decades before the ADA) when school officials recommend that I attend a “crippled” children’s school.
Contact Info:
- Other: For a free digital copy of Sheri Thomas’ short memoir IMBALANCED, email imbalanced.book@gmail.com.
