Revisited – Reflections From My Mental Health Journey With Kitty Sprague

In this revisited episode of Beyond the Balance Sheet, Kitty speaks out to share her story and help fight the stigma surrounding mental illness. She hopes families and clinicians will invest more research and awareness around symptoms and effective treatment methods. First, Kitty opens up about her struggles with bipolar disorder, OCD, and binge eating disorder. Kitty then reveals what she would have done differently on her journey to recovery; plus, Kitty gives advice for those struggling with depression and other mental health issues. Tune in as we talk about the stigma and discrimination around mental health in our society.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [02:05] Kitty has bipolar disorder, OCD and has struggled with binge eating. She opens up about her mental health journey. 
• [18:35] What Kitty wished she did differently on her journey to recovery. 
• [20:55] The people that made an impact on Kitty accepting her mental health struggles. 
• [22:50] The advice Kitty has for people struggling with depression and other mental health issues.  
• [24:30] Kitty speaks about the stigma and discrimination around mental health in our society. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Catching mental issues early can completely change a child’s life. 
• A strong foundation of mental health knowledge can equip your children to have happy, healthy, and productive lives. 
• You should never ignore mental health struggles; always take them seriously. 
• The more you talk about your mental health, the more we can destigmatize it in society. 

BIO:

Kitty was born and raised in NYC where she attended a K-12 prep school before graduating in 2007. After graduating, she spent a semester living in Cairo Egypt studying Arabic at the American University in Cairo. She is currently enrolled at Columbia University where she is completing her bachelor’s degree having taken many classes non-degree before her enrollment at Columbia. Kitty is 32, and has bipolar disorder, OCD, and has struggled with binge eating. She’s now speaking out to help fight the stigma surrounding mental illness in hopes that people will invest in more basic research to develop more effective medication and other treatments for mental illnesses.