Mental illness should be treated the same as medical illness. We need to normalize the treatment of mental health as we do physical health. Mental illness is part of the whole person and should not be isolated from medical illness. Holistic treatment is a necessity for overall well-being. To spread the word about mental health and the need for it to be treated the same as medical health is extremely important. There are so many people who struggle with mental health who don’t have the knowledge or resources to address it, leaving them feeling hopeless and alone. To reduce the stigma and encourage acceptance, as mother and daughter, we will talk about our experiences with mental illness, mental health care, and also the grief in the process of mental illness. What can you do to help normalize mental health and treatment of mental illness? Dr. Andrea LeClaire recently received her PhD in Nursing Health Care Systems from the College of Nursing, University of Colorado Anschutz. Her dissertation was a qualitative study which explored eighteen parents’ perceptions of their adolescents’ mental health care. A convenience sample consisting of 18 parent participants, were recruited from northeast Denver, Colorado. An overarching theme emerged where mental illness should be treated the same as medical illness, and parents are their adolescents’ advocate. Dr. LeClaire has been a nurse for over 36 years with a focus on pediatrics, education and administration. She has also spent over 17 years as a mental health nurse and administrator.

Amelia LeClaire, the daughter, is a cancer survivor since age eight, and has anxiety and depression. She is now twenty and has been in treatment for mental illness for seven years. Amelia is resilient and has learned how to address her anxiety and depression, but would like more therapy which is cost prohibitive. She will discuss her warning signs and how treatment has helped her, including why more will be beneficial. She has a passion for barrel racing as well as animals. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx