Amy Brinkley’s journey with substance use disorder and mental illness

Spread the light with Dr Devika B

This episode features Amy Brinkley’s incredible journey — and how she uses her personal experiences with substance use and mental illness recovery to drive national change and support others to sustain recovery, especially after incarceration.
Amy Brinkley is a nationally recognized leader in mental health and substance use recovery. Motivated by personal recovery experience and the suicides of three brothers and her mother’s overdose, Amy is dedicated to driving change through effective peer support and recovery-oriented systems of care.
Amy serves as the Recovery Support Services Coordinator for the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, and also serves (with me) on the national Board of Directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). She founded Paul’s Plan Ministries, which supports people exiting the criminal justice system, named in honor of her brother.
Amy lives in recovery with opioid use disorder (14.5 years sober), depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. She is mother to four children, three cats, and a cherished Labradoodle named Ruby.
Trigger warning: In this episode, we talk about substance use, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation and attempts, loss to suicide, and incarceration.
#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #trauma #depression #suicidality #stigma #mentalillnessstigma #spreadthelight #spreadthelightwithdrdevikab #mentalhealthtreatment #mentalhealthmatters #resilience #healing #psychiatry

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If you or a loved one needs help for a mental health crisis in the US, don’t hesitate to call or text 988 — or reach them online here. Find other resources here, search for a treatment facility here, and find a therapist here. Here are resources specifically for LGBTQ people. If you’re a US-based clinician or health student dealing with “any issue, not just a crisis,” reach out to the Physicians Support ...