My wife, Twinkle, and I are blessed with a blended family of six boys—three over the age of 18 and three younger ones. Our journey as parents has been shaped by significant challenges, particularly with our three older boys, who have struggled with mental health issues that later developed into substance dependency.

In addition to our family’s experiences, we’ve faced heartbreaking losses. Our best friend tragically completed suicide at the age of 28 after battling substance dependency, which stemmed from untreated mental health issues caused by early childhood trauma. In 2019, my 14-year-old niece took her life while on vacation with family members, including two of our younger boys. The trauma of this loss deeply impacted her sister, mother, grandmother (my mother), brother, her friend, and our sons, Xandon and Bentley, who were witnesses to this unimaginable event.

These experiences have taught us a difficult truth: navigating the healthcare and legal systems to get help for someone in crisis is incredibly challenging. Many people don’t know where to start when seeking help, and even when they do, they encounter barriers like financial obstacles, which can lead to frustration, worsening mental health issues, and substance dependency.

There are countless families facing similar struggles, and they need support to navigate these overwhelming systems. More than that, they need compassionate, understanding voices to tell them it’s okay to seek help and that they are not alone.

As someone who has personally dealt with ADHD, I know what it’s like to feel different—especially growing up in the 1980s and 90s, when understanding of these issues was limited. I often felt excluded, labeled as less capable, and was teased by peers. Thankfully, schools today have made progress, such as through IEP programs, which have benefited two of my boys. However, there is still much work to be done to continue educating communities and improving mental health awareness and resources.