Candy had always been a loving wife, though she would be the first to say her marriage wasn’t perfect. But when she woke up in the emergency department with a concussion and no memory of the incident that had led her there, she knew she needed to make a change.
“It wasn’t a great marriage,” Candy shares. “But waking up in the hospital, fighting for my life with a concussion due to head trauma—that was the final straw.”
“I felt like I lost myself. I didn’t recognize myself when I looked in the mirror, I was depressed, I was anxious. And being under that roof with my husband, it didn’t do me any good,” she says.
So, she left. She had been seeing a therapist, but she knew she needed more help to get her mental health and her life back on track as she navigated independence. Candy asked her sister to bring her to Sheppard Pratt’s Psychiatric Urgent Care in Towson the day she left the hospital.
Candy thought she would be committed during her level-of-care evaluation. “I was broken by all definitions of the word,” she explains. “But the doctor empowered me and told me, ‘Candy, this is all up to you. If you want, we have this day hospital program that helps anybody dealing with mental health issues.’ And I said ‘yes’ right away.”
Diving in With Both Feet
From day one of her treatment at Sheppard Pratt’s adult mood disorders day hospital program, Candy knew she was in the right place. “I was cared about. From the doctors to the staff to my group mates—everyone was amazing. I left thinking to myself, ‘This is good, and I’m so glad I’m here,’” she recalls.
As part of the therapeutic programming at the day hospital, patients participate in group sessions and receive handouts to reinforce the skills they learn. “On just the second or third day, I went to Walmart and bought a binder so I could make my ‘mental health bible’ full of these worksheets. It’s still sitting next to me. Every day, I reflect on it and what I learned,” Candy shares.
“Candy was always so open to advice and connecting with our team members. Seeing her motivation to learn, to gain coping skills—it was moving and inspiring,” shares mental health specialist Tisha Brock. “It’s a pleasure being able to work with our patients, and it motivates us when they benefit from our program. Being able to provide what they need on their mental health journey is so rewarding.”
“It was an honor to work alongside Candy in the day program as part of her recovery here at Sheppard Pratt,” shares Jason Addison, MD, service chief for the adult day hospital. “She displayed determination, resilience, and courage as she navigated a challenging time in her life, and I am grateful for all of the work she did here with our staff and with her fellow group members.”
After two weeks—the typical length of treatment in the day hospital program—it was time for Candy to find her new routine. “Honestly, this program saved my life. I’d had a therapist, but that wasn’t what the day hospital program is. To be in that supportive setting with people who were so kind and understanding about what I was facing—I could’ve kept going past the two-week stay. I knew I needed to progress from there and that I was ready, but I just wanted to keep coming back to Sheppard Pratt’s day hospital.”
Before she left, Candy worked with her care team to line up resources in her community so she would have the support she needed. Candy left feeling empowered and ready to tackle what came next.
On just the second or third day, I bought a binder so I could make my ‘mental health bible’ full of these worksheets. It’s still sitting next to me. Every day, I reflect on it and what I learned.
“I feel like me again”
Today, Candy has moved back home with her family and is looking for a job. She’s seeing her therapist twice a week and connecting with a psychiatrist monthly. Every day is a challenge, but Candy shares that she’s excited for what’s ahead.
“I’d lost the desire to do things because of the depression I was facing. But I’m doing a lot more because I want to; I’m swimming again, I have interests again. I’m back to smiling a lot more; for a long time, I had lost the person you’re seeing today,” she says. “I can’t even remember the last time I had an anxiety attack because I’ve been able to use my coping skills. I feel like me again.”