Fictional Story: Former Mental Patient tells her story 4/22/17

 

Arkansas State Hospital Little Rock, AR

Julie Hall 52 was admitted to a mental hospital since she was 17. Julie had a good life probably spoiled the most being the youngest of 5, 2 older brothers and 2 older sisters. Julie’s parents never saw anything in Julie that had them believe that there was anything wrong with Julie. Julie never showed any signs that she was a person who had mental problems. People tend to think that just because someone like that had an easy life that it was easy for, he or she to deal with any uncomfortable situation in their life. What no one ever knew was that behind that beautiful smile that Julie Hall had there was a person who had mental and suicidal thoughts. Anyway, Julie Hall has a story about her life on how Julie became complete once she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.

I am Julie S. Hall and I have a story to tell you of how I was admitted to Arkansas State Hospital in Little Rock. I grow up in a loving family. Me and my mom were really tight and me and my dad had a wonderful relationship (I was daddy’s little gurl). Anything that I wanted my dad would get for me. I am from North Little Rock. My parents taught us to respect everyone and from that moment I knew that behind my smile and “happy-go-lucky” self I felt that there was something that was not right. I had abnormal thoughts about committing suicide or cutting myself with a knife. I’m a country gurl who had mental thoughts and it was not like I was mistreated or anything because I had a lot of friends. My friends started to notice how strange I acted, and my behavior was that like Sybil the movie. I had 50 split personalities and my friends and family who were closest to me I gradually started pushing them away.

So, one day a really good friend of the family Dr. Fran Davidson, Dr. Davidson was a doctor for Psychiatric patients, recommended that I go to a mental hospital for evaluation. At 17, if I showed signs of being delusional, paranoid, or schizophrenic I was to stay in that hospital as long as I showed signs of abnormality. I was in and out of the mental hospital for 5 years. During that span, it didn’t take me long to realize that people who were considered mental or who showed signs of being mental were isolated from their family, friends, and society. People are not likely to visit those who showed signs of abnormal behavior either. 

I remember at 22 when a young man came to the hospital, and he had a good word for me that changed me and that made my life complete. The young man by the name of Kevin Hall who was no older than 20 witnessed to me in Arkansas State Hospital. Kevin was a bold young man and he asked me a simple question that I will never forget. Kevin asked me, “Did you know that Jesus Christ loves you and me and he died on the cross and by Jesus stripes we were healed?” I remember breaking down crying because me and my family never went to church. 

We never understood about Jesus Christ because we lived a life where Jesus Christ, being saved, and being forgiven of our sins was never talked about in our family. I remember telling Kevin that no one had ever took the time to tell me about Jesus Christ while I was in the mental hospital. The young man that led me to the Lord invited me to his church and together we left Arkansas State Hospital. The Lord used Kevin to come to the mental hospital to show me that Jesus Christ loves us despite of our sins and even when we don’t deserve Jesus Christ’s love, he paid the price dying on the cross, so Father God does not keep a record of the mistakes we make. Kevin and I got married in Kevin’s church. Me & my husband Kevin have been married 25 years and we have a beautiful daughter Emily Hall 25 who is engaged to her boyfriend Brent Richardson. We all enjoy being in our Mobil home. The Lord knows how to use people to come across our paths. Knowing about Jesus unconditional love and meeting my spouse made my life complete.