After struggling with the aftermath of a serious car accident for eight years, ChristiAnn Gutierrez found herself depressed and lethargic.
"I was tired and in pain and had lost my independence,” she said. “In a moment of weakness, I thought maybe I didn’t need to live anymore.”
With the support of her family and Parkland’s behavioral health services, ChristiAnn fought her way back from hopelessness to a new normal where she has a greater understanding of her mental health and appreciation for life.
The car accident in 2009 left ChristiAnn with a traumatic brain injury that required her to relearn how to walk, talk and eat. Five years later she experienced a brain bleed that resulted in seizures and partial paralysis. She struggled to cope.
“I had to put my old life to rest and build a new life, and it wasn’t easy” she said. “I had to learn who I was again.”
Without the ability to drive or work, ChristiAnn became isolated and depressed. After sharing her suicidal thoughts with her primary care physician, ChristiAnn was referred to a psychologist at Parkland, Rebecca Corona, PhD.
“Dr. Corona gave me the information I needed to learn to work with my illness,” said ChristiAnn. “She helped me understand the mind-body connection and that if you can get clarity in your mind, you can approach your illness in a different way.”
ChristiAnn began to understand that although she looked OK on the outside and others could not see her chronic pain, the pain was real.
“I thought there was no hope because my mind was just making up the pain, and it was my fault,” said ChristiAnn. “Now I accept that I truly have physical pain.”
Access to mental health care services continues to be a challenge in the United States – particularly in Texas. According to Mental Health America, Texas is ranked 50th out of 51 states in access to mental health services. In 2016, hospitals in Dallas County had almost half a million visits by patients with mental health and substance abuse issues.
As one of only two large facilities in the seven-county Dallas/Fort Worth area providing psychiatric emergency services, Parkland faces a high volume of often complex patients, with a limited community safety net for emergency mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Behavioral health services at Parkland include comprehensive psychiatric exams, ongoing care by a supportive provider, group therapy, individual therapy and social work services. Dedicated to helping individuals with mental illnesses live active, fulfilling lives, services are also provided in Parkland’s network of community health centers.
For ChristiAnn, living a fulfilling life included getting back to one of her passions – reading.
“I put down books for a while, but now I have the capacity to read,” she said. “Reading helps clear my mind from thinking about how I am feeling or what I can or can’t do. It takes me to a different place and gives me freedom in my mind.”
ChristiAnn credits Parkland for helping her gain a new perspective on life.
“I can approach life differently now, taking one day at a time, setting boundaries and having compassion for myself,” she said. “I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without Parkland. Parkland helped save my life.”
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