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LAYTON -- Kelly Curtis and his daughter Alex were sitting in a Layton park recently and were actually laughing.
That may not seem like a big deal to most people, but if you knew them just a few years ago, seeing them enjoying each other's company might be a big surprise.
"It was very difficult for us to even communicate with each other," said Alex. "I'm really proud of him. He did a really good thing."
1 in 17 Americans suffer from a serious mental illness. It is estimated that mental illness affects 1 in 5 American families. -NAMI Utah
Six years ago, when Alex started kindergarten, she was uncontrollable in the classroom.
Her father took her to hospitals and clinics for some testing and found out she had some mental health issues. She was diagnosed with a bipolar issue and a reactive attachment disorder.
"That was the point when I was really, really devastated. It just got me really bad and I got super depressed," said Kelly.
However, he also found out he needed help, too.
Back then, he would get mad fast. Often, that led to violence.
"I used to be a very intense and angry individual," said Kelly. "Then one time I had this flashback of my dad beating on me, trying to get me to obey, and I saw that and just couldn't do it with my daughter any longer."
Together, they got help.
However, Kelly admits it wasn't the easiest thing to do.
"A lot of friends would say that I just had to suck it up and get over it," said Kelly. "They told me to deal with it and put it in your past. But that's what I've been doing my whole life. I would put my problems in the past and never deal with it."
Kelly decided to get help, even though he says that was very difficult.
"I had to push myself into it because I was scared. I was scared the state was going to step in and take my child away," said Kelly.
Now, six years later, he says those at Davis Behavioral Health have helped him with his bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorders from a rough childhood.
They helped his daughter Alex, too, which is why their story is among other success stories displayed in the lobby of the Utah Department of Human Services.
"The stories they tell, if you look at almost every one of the posters, the stories are about what started happening to them in their childhood," said Lana Stohl, assistant director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.
Some have overcome depression. Others have dealt with paranoia, schizophrenia or anxiety.
The key, though, is that all of them are managing their challenges because they got help.
"We have to get better at being able to make it acceptable for people to take that first step," said Stohl. "Early intervention and treatments work. It's a wise investment not only for their future, but for our society's future as well."
The displays in the lobby show different people's faces who have dealt with their mental health challenges. Each display also tells a little about the person's story.
Stohl says a lot of people who have come through the lobby have stopped to read some of them.
"Instead of just having a document that had lots of numbers or statistics or how much it costs per client, we said, ‘Let's make a difference and let's be able to personalize different stories.'"
Stohl says roughly 40,000 people are treated every year because of mental health issues.
"When there are budget cuts, prevention and early intervention are the first things that get cut," said Stohl. "I think that's very short-sighted."
May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, and Stohl is hoping the displays remind people how important their programs are.
"They are absolutely critical," said Stohl.
Kelly Curtis agrees. The programs helped him get his family back, and he hasn't looked back since.
"He made the right choice to get help for both of us," said Alex. "He worked really hard to make sure we could have a good life instead of having it in bad ways."
Kelly now helps teach the very same programs he went through. He's hoping his story will inspire others going through the same difficulties to get help.
"Even if a piece of me can rub off on them, and they can be successful, I've done my job. I've served my purpose," said Kelly.
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
