MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS: A PERSONAL JOURNEY
Removing the Stigma that Discourages Treatment
BY MARCI DONNELLY, HILTI NORTH AMERICA
I
n September 2020, my husband, Tim, a project manager in the construction industry for a decade, died of an acci-
dental overdose. Tim actively struggled with substance
use disorder in his late teens and early twenties. As a teen, he was diagnosed with ADHD, and, in his twenties, he struggled with anxiety and depression, which led him to use prescription medication and other substances. He went into recovery in his mid-twen-
ties, focused on completing college, and started a successful career in the construc- tion industry. He was thriving at work and in his personal life when he became compla- cent in his daily self-care which was critical to maintaining recovery and mental health. Anxiety and depression appeared
again. As self-imposed pressure to be perfect built, he relapsed and began using substances to help manage his perfor- mance and emotions. This moment of stress led him to a year-long relapse where he struggled to get back to his recovery. Tree months into his relapse, Tim knew he needed inpatient care, but he was afraid of letting his team at work down. He was afraid that he would be seen as weak or treated differently if people knew that he lived with substance use disorder, regardless of if he was active in the addiction, or in recovery. By the time that he finally went to
treatment nine months later, his illness had progressed to the point where the treatment he received was not adequate for that phase of the disease. His employer offered ample time off for in-patient care, and the treatment was covered by employ- er-sponsored health benefits. Unfortunately, the cultural stigma as-
The Donnelly Family at Disneyland, including author Marci next to Tim Donnelly (far right).
sociated with mental health discouraged my husband from seeking help earlier. I believe if he would have accessed care nine months earlier, when he recognized he needed it, his chances of recovery would have been much better.
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CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
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