It has been 25 years since I have been in any inpatient hospital or residential treatment. It has been a bumpy ride sometimes, especially in the last several years. Still, I am hopeful. I have understood the dangers of not taking care of my mental health. It is important to stay the course and never try to “rock the boat.”

I have never forgot the nearly year and a half of the roughest time of my life. It was shortly after finding my mental health diagnosis. Then, the onset of puberty hit its worst. This is common in many autistic teenagers. I was no exception. Thankfully, I voluntarily entered the psychiatric hospital all but one of those times. I knew something just wasn’t right. It hurt when my parents were at their wits end. They did not know what to do, yet they still sought out residential treatment for me. The county and managed care insurance had other options. My mother and a support person visited places. They checked to see what the right fit was. They did the hard work to get me where I needed to be.

Over the past near two of the three years, I learned the hard way. I made destructive decisions that nearly ended me back to where I was. One thing different was that I was an adult and the consequences can be much worse, even in current times. Most of the physical locations where I was treated no longer exist as they were. They gave me the education and foundations I needed to be mentally grounded. Again, in 2026, I am more grounded and in a much better place than I have been in some time.

Being in the hospital or residential care was not the total fix. But, it got me on the right track. Some of the medication cocktail that I am on today has kept me stable. It has kept me out of the hospital for the past 25 years. I was in denial for many years. I wasn’t honest many times about how I cared for my mental health. During the latter part of last year, I began to work through this. I made this a reality in 2026. I began to understand the value and reality that psychotropic medications play in my life. It’s important to have them to have the best quality of life possible.

In 2026, there is no longer denial or dishonesty. There is acceptance of what life has to be. Life can only get better if I allow it to happen by doing what is best for me. I realize that the opportunities I want are only possible by accepting how valuable the lessons are. I also need to understand the importance of the memories I learned in such places. Medications are a part of the treatment process—all of them—each and every day. There is no turning back from where I once was. I have fully understood why and how they work. I know they are important. I also understand the consequences of neglecting my mental health. I must take necessary actions to care for it.