Volunteer Voice: David Garson
When I was 22 years old, I tried to commit suicide and it changed the course of my life forever. At the time, I was living in California and had an undiagnosed mental illness (Bipolar 2 Disorder) and it led to me having a psychotic break. My life began to sound like a made for TV movie, but it was real life.
After spending many years rebuilding my life including one year in jail and one year in a mental hospital, I persevered to get my life back on track. I am currently a Senior Vice President in the mortgage industry, and most importantly, I have learned a lot about life and continue to grow each day.
At the core of my beliefs following my suicide attempt and, the subsequent “survival” process, are 3 key elements:
Don’t worry about what other people think about you.
If you put your mind to something, you can do anything.
Your mental health is more important than your job.
Every day, I check on my mental health status to make sure I am in control. I still have really bad days at times, including days that I have suicidal ideations. Through therapy and medication, I have learned to manage those symptoms, but it is still an arduous task. What makes me feel the best is helping others struggling with mental illness and showing them by example that their life is worth living.
MHA is very appreciative of Dave donating the money he raises from the Philadelphia marathon he is running on November 24 to us. He will be sporting the MHA E-Racing the Blues t-shirt to promote our agency as he runs. We thank and wish him success in his endeavor to support our organization.
Guest Blogger: David Garson, Keystone Funding, Inc.’s Corporate Sales Manager