DBSA was there during one of the most turbulent times of my life—that saved me.
After a suicide attempt left me in the hospital, the progress I made on my mental health was pretty superficial for a couple of months. I stumbled upon DBSA Louisville by happenstance, and after a few support group meetings, I started to develop my own sense of a reason to live.
One of our DBSA Louisville chapter members, who found DBSA around the same time as I, likes to point out to newcomers that when I started joining support group meetings, I was in crisis pretty frequently. Now, though, I am happier and even lead meetings myself.
I want to share my story for the same reason I do in support groups—if it could help even one person, it’s worth it. I’ve never felt more welcome in my life than in these support groups.
It has absolutely been a long and often arduous journey, but I wouldn’t have made it nearly as far without peer support and DBSA Louisville—I truly owe my life to that chapter.
Cy is the current Vice President of DBSA Louisville. They care deeply about the DBSA community, as their recovery has made a drastic improvement since joining, and they believe it truly feels like a second family. They first attended a meeting three and a half years ago and were facilitating within six months. They were voted onto the Board of Directors in their second year as Secretary, they helped launch the LGBTQ+ Identity Focused group in June of 2024, they launched a bi-monthly LGBTQ+ Zoom group in response to DBSA CEO Michael Pollock’s “Mental Health Emergency” email, and they volunteer to staff tables, whenever possible, at events ranging from NAMI’s annual fundraiser walk to Anime-Fest Louisville. Sometime in 2026, they plan to resume working on their undergrad to pursue a Religious Studies PhD with a focus on how queer and disabled people find homes in esoteric practices both in history and the modern era.
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DBSA shares stories to increase hope and decrease stigma.
