Vitaly Feriola: Martin County Metnal Health Court
“Mental health court has helped me tremendously by helping me get control of my life and more importantly my mental health. Mental health court has shown me that I don’t have to face my negative thoughts and bad days alone. They have given me a second chance in life because I didn’t want live. They have given me the treatment and help that I needed, like therapy and medication and amazing people to reach out to when I couldn’t do it anymore. They have shown me that even on my bad days I can get through it with coping skills and reaching out for help even though I didn’t know how to ask for help. I always had the attitude of, “I’m just going do this on my own” and that never panned out well. We should raise mental health awareness because people like me don’t have to suffer alone on our dark days. If we raise mental awareness there probably would be less suicides and people self-medicating and hurting themselves, all because the wires in their head are not connecting positively and they don’t know how or where to seek help. I am forever grateful for Mental Health Court.”