One thing I own that holds tremendous sentimental value is a framed picture of artwork that I created over 20 years ago while I was in a psychiatric hospital. Most people would probably think that keeping something from such a difficult period of my life would be a painful reminder of the past.

For me, it is the opposite.

When I look at that framed artwork today, I don’t see a patient. I see proof that I survived years of struggle and kept moving forward until I finally found answers. It reminds me of how far I have come and everything I have overcome.

I was hospitalized more times than I can count and spent years trying different medications, never finding the right treatment. It wasn’t until the last several years that doctors finally found a combination of medications that truly changed my life. I have not been in a psychiatric hospital in eight or nine years, and I don’t expect to ever go back.

The turning point came when a doctor finally discovered the correct diagnosis. I have severe ADHD and was given more misdiagnoses than I can count. Once I was properly diagnosed and prescribed medication that actually treated ADHD, the difference was like night and day. For the first time, I could focus, regulate my emotions, remain calm and steady, and manage my daily life more effectively.

For years, doctors treated my symptoms with medications that were not addressing the actual problem. Instead of helping, many of them left me feeling sedated and made it even harder to function.

I keep that artwork as a reminder of the person I was and the person I have become. It reminds me that healing is possible, even when it takes years to find the right path. I still have bad days. Medication did not solve all my problems. But I am no longer struggling every day just to stay afloat. Instead, I am finally living out my dreams and building the life I once thought was impossible.