The most difficult thing a person can do is talk about the most personal time in their life. Alex was diagnosed in Spring of 2016 with a mental disability– bipolar disorder. Isa, her wife (fiancé at the time), noticed Alex was not her usual self a few weeks prior to the diagnosis.
After a difficult week of arguing with her family and friends, Alex made an appointment with a mental health clinic in Santa Ana. Her family and wife were there every step of the way in her recovery.
It was not an easy recovery. Alex was in extreme denial of her diagnosis. She had let her bipolar disorder take over– something she did not think she could come back from. Alex thought she could never go back to work due to her illness.
She had given up on life and truly thought she was never going to get hired anywhere.
As time went on, Alex started to feel better. She began sleeping eight hours every night. Her moods were finally under control, she gained self-esteem and her overall health improved. Alex credits all of her improvement to Isa.
Six months into her recovery, Alex began feeling like a new person– ready to take on the world. Isa encouraged her to seek employment and give it another chance. She was recommended to talk to Chris Anders, an Employment Specialist at Goodwill of Orange County’s EmploymentWORKS Program.
Chris helped Alex clean up her resume and taught her essential interview skills to help her find meaningful employment. With help from Chris, Alex was hired at a local grocery store as a clerk. After ten months, Alex left her job at the grocery store to begin working in Mental Health Services in the city of Orange. She is now a Peer Mentor, helping people like herself overcome their mental health diagnoses.
Alex states, “With dedication, determination and support, I was able to reach the goals I set for myself.”
Her next goal: to move up in her company!
