Life no longer felt manageable for 17-year-old Julia when she walked into Nationwide Children’s Hospital Behavioral Health Services. She found herself at a crisis point; depressed, anxious and completely exhausted of her thoughts and emotions. Julia was tired of being alive. She spent three days in Nationwide Children’s Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit (YCSU) where she found help, relief and understanding.

“I went home feeling empowered and validated, realizing that asking for help is worth it. Most importantly, I left knowing that although my battle with mental health was not over, I had an endless army of fighters standing with me. To me, Nationwide Children’s Hospital means the freedom to be vulnerable, broken, and scared. It’s the freedom to heal. It means the freedom to overcome and to thrive – no matter my diagnosis,” says Julia.

As a national leader in childhood Behavioral Health, Nationwide Children’s is pushing the field forward. Together with Big Lots, Nationwide Children’s is in the process of constructing one of America’s largest behavioral health treatment and research center for children and adolescents on a pediatric campus, set to open its doors in 2020.

Today, Julia is a sophomore in college majoring in social work. She is incredibly passionate about sharing her experiences to help break the stigma surrounding mental health.

https://flutter.nationwidechildrens.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Julia.jpg

• Name: Julia .Julia
• Condition(s): Behavioral Health
• Age at Treatment: 17

Life no longer felt manageable for 17-year-old Julia when she walked into Nationwide Children’s Hospital Behavioral Health Services. She found herself at a crisis point; depressed, anxious and completely exhausted of her thoughts and emotions. Julia was tired of being alive. She spent three days in Nationwide Children’s Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit (YCSU) where she found help, relief and understanding.

“I went home feeling empowered and validated, realizing that asking for help is worth it. Most importantly, I left knowing that although my battle with mental health was not over, I had an endless army of fighters standing with me. To me, Nationwide Children’s Hospital means the freedom to be vulnerable, broken, and scared. It’s the freedom to heal. It means the freedom to overcome and to thrive – no matter my diagnosis,” says Julia.

As a national leader in childhood Behavioral Health, Nationwide Children’s is pushing the field forward. Together with Big Lots, Nationwide Children’s is in the process of constructing one of America’s largest behavioral health treatment and research center for children and adolescents on a pediatric campus, set to open its doors in 2020.

Today, Julia is a sophomore in college majoring in social work. She is incredibly passionate about sharing her experiences to help break the stigma surrounding mental health.