Lived Experience Story: Lindsay Harte
/
My name is Lindsay Harte (she/her).
I am a Communications Specialist on the communications team at the Telecare corporate office. I’ve been at Telecare for eight years.
On my life’s journey, I have experienced depression and anxiety, PTSD, loving a family member with serious mental illness, losing loved ones to AIDS and ALS, and building a strong support network to get me through it. In January 2020, I was officially diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) after finally finding a provider I could afford to see. I was 33 years old. Before that, I had only worked with therapists and my Primary Care Physician who wrote me a prescription for anti-depressants to cope with a lot of things. It wasn’t until I attended NAMI's Family-to-Family educational series that I saw how much I wasn’t putting myself first — and how important it was to find a mental health specialist, not a general doctor. I reached out to a local provider and was able to find relief after two decades of depressive episodes I chalked up to “I’m generally fine.”
What I have learned along the way is that being vulnerable is really (really) hard, but when you find your people — people that you can trust with every emotion in your being — it’s life’s little bit of magic. Connection and support with others helped me connect and support myself. It’s why I am still here and I am so grateful for those that I love.
What I hope to do for and share with others is to share stories so we all feel connected in this world and learn from each other. I am passionate about advocating for equal access to healthcare, especially regarding mental health. There are so many great sliding-scale resources for people that need them, but they get buried amongst the piles of misinformation. It shouldn't be such a burden to find them — or afford them — but it feels impossible if you don't know where to start looking.
In tough times, I always try to remember “nothing will work unless you do” — Dr. Maya Angelou.
If I were going to say one thing to someone going through what I’ve been through is, I am here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your journey, Lindsay! We are so glad to have you as part of #TeamTelecare!
Are you curious about Telecare? Learn more about our services and programs; our commitment to diversity and inclusion; our latest news; our history, mission, and values; and our current job opportunities!
