Clubhouse Inspires Teacher to get back in the Classroom
If you were struggling with a physical illness or disease, it’s unlikely it would take you 40 years to seek medical treatment. But when it comes to mental illness, many endure in silence for decades. Such is true for Regina, a high school English teacher in Florida.
“I was raised in a time where you only got help if you really needed it, it was just not the norm at the time. I was not invited to seek help and just lived with it.”
While many people today still do not seek treatment and care, the tide has changed as more and more people are recognizing mental health is health. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, among the 15.4 million adults in the US with serious mental illness in 2022, nearly 67% received treatment. And of those people, a higher percentage of women (71.4%) sought treatment than men (59.3%).
Regina says she always knew she was anxious and had depression. She had seen it in her own home, her mother lived with serious depression. But when it came to her own health, she didn’t really think she needed any help until she was hospitalized for an eating disorder. “I was in my 40s and a doctor told me I needed to be admitted urgently because I only weighed 70 pounds. I kept it from my husband for two days and when I finally told him what the doctor had said, he convinced me to seek treatment.” That was the start of Regina’s road to mental wellness.
As a self-admitted perfectionist, Regina says the hospitalization made her realize she needed to focus on self-care. After spending more than a month at a specialized eating disorder clinic, she knew she had to work on herself full-time, so she made the difficult decision to quit the teaching job she loved.
“I needed to focus on myself, which I had never done before. I had been neglecting my own health for a long time and putting my career and everything else first.”
Her loving husband supported her in her recovery. He was working through a PTSD diagnosis himself and was in treatment. He was keenly aware of the work it took to get one’s mental health on track. Tragically, after 20 years of being her rock, Regina’s husband suddenly suffered a stroke that ultimately took his life. He was only 39 years-old and Regina was now a widow just a few short years after her hospitalization.
Her husband’s death left her alone and unsure of what the future would hold. Regina’s life was in New Jersey but her father who lived in Florida encouraged her to head south. “I was truly thrilled to get the invite to move in with my dad. We had vacationed there when I was a kid and given my situation it was a dream come true. I love it here.”
Florida was the start of a new life, and it was there where Regina discovered Clubhouse. Her therapist recommended The Academy at Glengary in Sarasota as a place where she could find community and purpose.
“I was open minded about it but nervous because I was not sure what I would do there. It turned out to be a good thing. Because of my career as an English teacher, they asked me to do a workshop to teach members how to write a professional email. I did a second workshop on poetry and wellness. This experience was the catalyst for getting me back into teaching.”
Regina is currently an English teacher at a Sarasota High School. She says the students give her hope for the future. “Young people are open minded about mental health and are not judgmental. Many of them have their own diagnoses and live unashamed.”
As for her future, Regina is dating again and is more committed than ever to self-care. “My advice to anyone experiencing anxiety or depression is to not wait to seek treatment. I was always against it and in taking medication, but both have changed my life.”
And through her Clubhouse Regina has learned she is not alone. “What they say at the Academy at Glengary is to be grateful and appreciate every moment. I try to live by that every day!”
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