For much of his life, Tommy J. carried more on his shoulders than most people could see.
Adopted at the age of three, he grew up surrounded by complex challenges, including a family history of serious mental illness.
One of his earliest and most profound losses came in childhood. His mother passed away from cancer when he was just 10 years old. That loss stayed with him, shaping the years that followed in ways he didn’t yet understand.
As he entered his teenage years, Tommy poured himself into sports, becoming a dedicated football player with dreams of playing professionally. But during high school, his path took a sudden and devastating turn.
Tommy spent time experimenting with substances, and he found himself part of a violent, life-threatening incident that resulted in a blood clot in his brain. He was airlifted to the hospital, just minutes from death.
He underwent brain surgery and began a long recovery. Football was no longer an option. However, he pushed forward with track and lettered four years.
“When all of that ended, it felt like everything I had worked for was gone,” he shared.
In the wake of that loss—layered on top of grief from losing his mother—depression began to take hold.
Years of struggling and searching for answers
Tommy spent nearly two decades trying to find the right mental health care.
“I saw different therapists and psychiatrists for 15 to 20 years,” he said. “We kept trying different medications, but nothing really worked.”
At his lowest point, he describes feeling deeply depressed and suicidal. At the same time, he was battling substance use—an addiction that lasted nearly 28 years.
Despite the challenges, Tommy never stopped seeking help.
“Therapy has saved my life so many times,” he said. “Even when things felt impossible, I kept going. I knew I was getting close to the right answer.”
A turning point at Family Care Center
When Tommy came to Family Care Center, something shifted.
For the first time, he felt a sense of consistency and trust in his care. He has now been working with the same therapist for three years—something that has made a profound difference.
“I can tell my therapist Katherine anything,” he shared. “She gives me real tools I can use—like breathing exercises and techniques to slow down my reactions in tough moments. She’s the best therapist I’ve ever had.”
His care team also introduced measurement-based care, including regular check-ins and progress surveys before appointments.
“Seeing my progress on paper helps me understand how far I’ve come,” he said.
With coordinated support from both his therapist and medication provider, Samrawit, Tommy finally began to feel stable.
Healing, growth, and a new way forward
Today, Tommy’s life looks dramatically different.
He is nearly three years sober from substances, one year cigarette-free, and recently reached another milestone—three months without alcohol. He’s also a reborn Christian who attends church in Colorado.
“I have a clear mind now,” he said.
He’s also focused on his physical health, walking four miles a day, and losing 40 pounds over the past year. These new habits support both his mental and emotional well-being.
When a serious truck accident last year triggered PTSD symptoms and resurfaced past trauma, Tommy leaned on the skills he had learned in therapy.
“My therapist helped me work through it and gave me the motivation to keep going,” he said. “She even helped me overcome my fears of driving and helped me to get back behind the wheel.”
That resilience continues to shape how he approaches life today.
Facing challenges with resilience
Tommy’s journey hasn’t been without ongoing challenges.
He continues to navigate a difficult relationship with his adult son, which remains a source of pain. But today, he doesn’t face it alone.
“Family Care Center has been a huge support through relationship issues with my son,” he said. “My therapist has helped me get through some of the hardest moments.”
In addition to focusing on his own healing, Tommy has stepped into a new role—caring for a close friend living with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
At the same time, he’s preparing for his next chapter: Returning to school to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), with plans to begin classes soon.
“It’s been 20 years since I’ve been in school,” he said. “But I’m ready.”
Therapy is a difference-maker
Looking back, Tommy describes himself in one word: resilient. “You have to look challenges in the eye and overcome them,” he said.
For anyone considering therapy or mental health treatment, his message is simple: “Stick with it. It can change your life. It’s been a difference-maker for me.”
After decades of struggle, setbacks, and survival, Tommy is no longer just getting by. He’s building a life with purpose, stability, and hope.
