Georgia

In 2001, I was a student at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Shortly afterwards, I began experiencing symptoms of manic depression but after 911 and the anthrax mail scare I went into a tail spin and was eventually diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.

I ended up at the Harrison House emergency shelter with people who cared and understood what I was going through. They had a strict schedule that helped me organize my life that included lots of counseling and caring people I could count on.

In November 2003, I received a shelter plus care certificate from Berkeley Primary Care. I found a two-bedroom apartment in Berkeley in a wonderful neighborhood with great neighbors.

Along the way, there were people who were instrumental in my success; those include the entire Harrison House staff, Yvette Ladd from Berkeley Primary Care, Andrew Wicker from City of Berkeley Housing Department.

Who helped me the most is my daughter; she gave me focus and purpose. My parents were also very supportive and smart enough to realize when to stop enabling me.

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