Real Miracles, Healing Stories
Sherri Lake—Into the Light 
A BAD BEGINING
Healing comes in all forms; dramatic, subtle, and in
some cases sublime. The story of Sherri Lake is one such inspiring account,
though it doesn’t
begin as an uplifting anecdote - quite the contrary.
As a child Sherri was a victim of abuse – emotionally and sexually. She recalls growing up in an unhappy home with alcoholic parents and an older brother in constant problems with the law. Memories still linger of being depressed throughout most of her childhood.
Depression followed Sherri through her school years. A poor self image and lack of self confidence crippled her emotionally. She never felt good enough for her parents, teachers or friends. So when someone finally did pay extra attention to her, she latched on tight. Sherri relied heavily on her first ‘relationship’ to be her source of happiness.
CHOICES
But a poor self image often leads to poor choices – such was the case
in her first choice of boyfriend. Betrayal ended that young relationship and
Sherri took it hard – maybe too hard. Sherri contemplated suicide, but
backed down before swallowing a hand full of pills - she was 21 years old.
A less than sympathetic mother only made matters worse.
The following year Sherri met her first husband - another bad choice. His alcoholism soon surfaced along with his physical and emotional abuse. After one such episode, Sherri attempted again to end her life as she crashed her car into two parked cars. She told her story to her husband, her parents and to the police, but no one suggested professional help. Sherri was now 23 years old. So her marriage, the abuse, and her depression continued.
GATHERING GLOOM
As her depression deepened, she became constantly exhausted.
She would get home from work at 4:30 and sleep until 6:30 the next morning.
Weekends were spent almost entirely in bed. Nearly unable to function, she
sought medical help. Sherri was 24 year old when she was first diagnosed with
depression. She was placed on medication that worked so well, after one year
the drugs were stopped. One year later, the depression returned and she was
back on medication. But, this time the medication was not as effective.
Sherri’s first marriage ended after five years. At 36, Sherri married again. Her second marriage lasted about as long as the first, but that relationship yielded a son – the light of her life. As thrilled as she was to be a mother, the depression worsened. She consulted with many doctors and counselors, and tried various medications; nothing seemed to help. She was never told she could get better, and she didn't. So, Sherri became discouraged and resigned herself to being depressed the rest of her life.
While in the depths of despair, Sherri still managed to accept the responsibility to her aging parents. At 41, Sherri and her son moved home to care for her aging mother and father. Her mother died a few months later as her father’s Parkinson’s disease complicated their situation. All this became too much for emotionally-disabled Sherri. She confessed her thoughts of suicide with her counselor, who referred her to a new therapy group.
INTO THE LIGHT
She was actually feeling results when that group ended. Now
feeling a glimmer of hope that recovery may be possible, Sherri sought help
again. This time she found Saint Alphonsus. Through Saint Alphonsus Behavioral
Health, Sherri began seeing Andrew Olnes, M.D. and Damiana Uberuaga, LCSW.
Her treatment included medication, individual counseling and group therapy with The Women’s Mood Disorders Group. “The group has been my salvation”, says Sherri. For the past two years the group has given her tools to deal with issues in her life, past and present, which contributed to her depression.
Sherri states, “I have been living in a black hole with no glimmer of light.” She continues, “I have had to do my part and work hard, but I now have the tools and support I need.” Sherri adds, “Thanks to Dr. Olnes and Damiana, I now see the light.”
After decades of living with crippling depression, Sherri is recovering. She is still caring for her ailing father, but now she has the strength to deal with that challenge and anything else life can throw at her.
Sherri’s healing process may be subtle, but the results are dramatic. While her story is about depression, it is certainly one of hope.