GROWING UP BEING DUAL DIAGNOSED Rachelle Ellison
MY JOURNEY This presentation is about my life growing up being dual diagnosed with mental health and substance abuse issues. Dual Diagnosis is when one suffers from both a mental illness and substance abuse problem at the same time. I am going to share with you all of the challenges that I lived through and how I overcame them.
MY CHILDHOOD I grew up West Virginia. My mother started severely beating me when I was 5 years old. My father started molesting me at 7 years old. Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder at age 7 years old. Started stealing my father s prescription drugs out of the refrigerator at 12 years old.
MY COURAGE TO TELL THE TRUTH And my
POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER I was diagnosed with PTSD at the age of 12. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a mental disorder that stems from the extreme stress and anxiety due to a traumatic event which in my case was sexual assault. I had bouts of violent behavior. I was medicated with Xanax.
MY TEENAGE YEARS I went from Mental Institutions to Foster Homes to Group Homes throughout WV. I was legally freed (emancipated) from the control of my parents at 15 years old while in Maryland. Pregnant with First Child at 15 years old. My first child s father was 22 years old. I smoked marijuana and drank alcohol during my entire pregnancy.
MY TEENAGE YEARS Married first husband at 16 years old and had my second child. My husband was 24 years old when we married. He went to jail after our first 6 months together for statutory rape of another girl in another state.
MY YOUNG ADULT YEARS At 17 years old, I started freebasing cocaine. I started engaging in prostitution after becoming addicted to cocaine. I became pregnant with twins by the man who got me started on cocaine.
MY YOUNG ADULT YEARS I put my first two children in foster care because I knew that I could not properly care for them while freebasing cocaine and pregnant. My twins were born addicted to cocaine but one was stillborn.
MY TRUE ADULTHOOD I stopped using all drugs for one year (after joining a drug program). I married my second husband at 22. I was able get my remaining children out of foster care. However, while in foster care, my first son died in a tragic pool accident. I had my 5 th child (a girl) at 23 years old.
MY TRUE ADULTHOOD I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and started taking many different medications. Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder when one goes from extreme mood changes from depression to elevated moods. I started using cocaine again (in the form of crack cocaine) and because of this two of my children were taken away and put up for adoption.
GOING DOWNHILL We (my husband, our daughter and I) moved to Washington, DC, in 1996. My second husband was a drug dealer. He got me addicted to heroin to take me off crack cocaine. He went to prison that same year. Because I was addicted to heroin and could not take care of myself or my daughter, I sent my daughter to live with his family.
LIVING IN HELL I was alone and started crack cocaine again. I was also using alcohol, marijuana and PCP. I was still suffering from the death of my first son and all the years of abuse. I was not being treated for my mental health issues and eventually became suicidal. I had no source of income nor a support system so I became homeless and resorted to prostitution and became a professional scam artist.
CO-OCCURING DISORDERS
CONSEQUENCES I tried to commit suicide many times which led me being sent to mental institutions and mental health crisis houses. The prostitution caused me to go to jail many times. Scam artistry caused me to go to federal prison. I missed being with my children as they grew up.
COMING UP FOR AIR I divorced my second husband 2009. Pathways to Housing outreach helped me to get off the street and find housing. However, I had a new boyfriend who was very abusive which led me to go in and out of domestic violence shelters. I found out later he had co-occurring disorders as well. He was schizophrenic, using crack cocaine and became very abusive after drinking alcohol. I started going to suicide prevention counseling and was determined to get myself clean and sober.
RECOVERY AND HOPE I went to detoxification program at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington on May 6, 2014. I joined a program to finally receive my High School Diploma at the age of 46. I was also diagnosed with SLE Lupus at around this time but I did not let it stop me from continuing my journey to wellness.
RENEWED STRENGTH I became a Certified Peer Specialist under the District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health on May 19, 2016. I graduated from Prospect College June 26, 2016 with diploma as a Medical Office Administrative Assistant. Today, I share my story as a speaker and recovery advocate working with organizations such as the National Coalition for the Homeless, Deeds of Kindness, and the District of Columbia Recovery Advisory Council.
THANK YOU! God District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health Dr. Orlando Barker District of Columbia Recovery Advisory Council My sponsor, Pamela R. For showing me how to be loving and caring, and guiding me through the 12-step program. But most of all for being my sister and my friend.