Hi, my name is Adrian Fletcher. I am a psychologist, trauma therapist, consultant, speaker, and writer. I live with both Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) formally known as Multiple Personality Disorder.

In 2017 after an attempt at my own life I spent time in a psychiatric hospital and residential treatment facility. At the time of these admissions I thought I would never recover and never work again. The way I was treated during the hospitalization made me feel less than human and I couldn’t believe this was considered mental health care especially given that I myself am a clinician. I was also devastated at the fact that the friends who I thought were my friends walked away from my life during this time because they did not know what to do with their high functioning and successful friend who had “fallen apart.”

Being inpatient in cold empty room surrounded by unempathic staff and having my confidentiality violated I couldn’t help but ask myself how did I end up here.

Leading up to this hospitalization it was not clear as to what I was dealing with. I had been given several diagnoses and placed on a variety of different medications. It’s no surprise to me that many seek to avoid hospitalization even in a time of crisis due to the lack of training, support, and empathy provided.

Following my residential stay my husband was determined to help me get “back to life.” He along with my incredible treatment team supported me as I rebuilt my life, my self-esteem and my business. I am proud to say I was successful in doing so. It’s taken a lot of hard work, years of dedication to healing, reevaluation of relationships in my life and a total reassessment of what I would like offer in terms of my own career.

I now live a happy life even though I still face challenges related to post traumatic stress and living with functional multiplicity. As a trafficking survivor I will experience life long challenges even though I consider myself recovered/in recovery. I have even expanded my career to provide education, consultation and speaking as a global mental health advocate.

I want others to know they are not alone and that there is no shame in having a mental health condition.

I think if we all treated individuals with mental health conditions with kindness, understanding, empathy and support we would collectively lose less lives to suicide.

Dream, Believe, Hope and never give up.

 

Website:  Dr.Fletcher