Continual Care

Daniel is a 37-year-old lawyer; he has a wife and two children, owns his home, and meets friends for pick-up basketball every Tuesday evening. While things seem great from the outside looking in, Daniel has had a history of struggling with his mental health. And thanks to Sheppard Pratt, he’s had help and support along the way. 

See how Sheppard Pratt has been there for him throughout the years.

Age 18:

It’s Daniel’s freshman year at Towson University, and it’s the first time he’s ever really been out on his own. Daniel has been itching to let loose after a high school stint filled with travel basketball. He’s on a basketball scholarship at Towson and loves being on the team. But at team parties, it quickly becomes clear that he has no brakes when it comes to alcohol. After waking up in the emergency room with alcohol poisoning, he’s referred to Sheppard Pratt’s services for addiction for help. 

He participates in weekly therapy with an addictions counselor, and takes part in group therapy, too.

Age 21:

Daniel has been doing a lot better when it comes to his substance use. He’s found other coping skills and has gotten comfortable saying “no thanks” when he’s offered a beer at a party. However, he’s been focusing intently on law school applications, serving as secretary for his fraternity, and playing his final varsity basketball season at Towson. He’s been struggling to find the motivation to get out of bed and has been irritable and withdrawn. One day, his roommate finds him in tears, threatening to “end it all.” He takes Daniel across the street to Sheppard Pratt’s Psychiatric Urgent Care. Daniel is evaluated by a clinician and quickly referred for inpatient care on the Young Adult Unit. His psychiatrist gets him on Zoloft for his depression, and his therapist helps him develop coping skills for dealing with overwhelming feelings.

Age 26:

Daniel’s completed law school and is working at his first job in big law. He’s under pressure like he’s never experienced before, and his mental health is suffering. Worse, the law firm he’s joined has a drinking culture, and to fit in, he thought to himself, “one won’t hurt.” He knows Sheppard Pratt has been there for him before—so he reaches out to see what kind of help would be best for him. He completes a two-week course of treatment at the Adult Day Hospital, where the team helps him address both his mental health and his alcohol use. At the end of his treatment, his clinician recommends he starts going to therapy, so he begins seeing a therapist at the Outpatient Mental Health Center in Timonium, right around the corner from his office.

Age 28:

Daniel is still in therapy, but his Zoloft hasn’t been quite as effective recently. His psychiatrist has him try a few other medications—Paxil, Wellbutrin, and Effexor—before recommending that Daniel try Sheppard Pratt’s neuromodulation options to address his lingering mood issues. He goes to Sheppard Pratt’s Institute for Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics; after reviewing his history, they recommend that Daniel try Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) at Sheppard Pratt’s Towson campus. He does TMS every weekday for six weeks and finds that his mood is getting better. Better yet, he isn’t having any of the side effects he had from medicine.

Age 31:

Daniel has been doing really well for the last three years. He met the love of his life, they got married, and bought their first home together. But after a high-pressure promotion at work coupled with losing his mother to cancer, Daniel’s mental health starts suffering again. He’s turned back to self-medicating with a tumbler of Scotch at the end of a long day and has been less reliable at work. One evening, his wife finds him passed out face down on the deck, a broken glass next to him. She insists that he gets help and turns to The Retreat by Sheppard Pratt. He stays at The Retreat for a month and is able to address both his depression and drinking simultaneously. TMS, which helped Daniel before, is just down the hall, so he’s easily able to get treatments again. Daniel also begins practicing yoga as part of his holistic approach to his mental health, which helps with his stress.

Age 37:

Today, Daniel is happy and healthy. He’s back in weekly therapy at the Outpatient Mental Health Center in Timonium, and he goes in for TMS at Sheppard Pratt’s Towson campus every six months. He and his wife have had two children, and he’s found a healthy balance at work. Daniel has continued with yoga and meditation to help with his stress, and for weekly “Daniel” time, he meets his friends for pick-up basketball—a nostalgic reminder of the game that got him to Towson University in the first place.

Everything isn’t perfect—it never is. But he knows he has the support he needs, and if he ever needs help, he knows that Sheppard Pratt is always there for him.