Success Stories: Sherlie

"I didn't feel like waking up; I didn't feel like going to school; I would just lie in bed all day and say, 'What's the point?' But with my counselor at The Providence Center I could cry, I could be mad - it didn't matter - she made it okay to pour my heart out. She helped me realize I could do something with my life."

Episodes of extreme sadness, anger and happiness started when Sherlie was just 15 years old.  She recognized the signs and knew she needed help. She knew people who had done well at The Providence Center. She would start there.

When Sherlie was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, she was relieved. Now, she knew why one minute she would be happy and the next she would be sobbing, mad, screaming and trying to pick a fight. Now, she knew why she tore her room apart and why she couldn't get out of bed. Her illness had a name and now she could fight back.

Sherlie fought hard.  After just three years in the Children's Intensive Services program at The Providence Center, she learned to understand her illness and control her emotions.  She learned how to prevent attacks by recognizing what triggered her anxiety.  Her illness no longer controlled her; she controlled it.

Sherlie's attending the Community College of Rhode Island now.  At 18 years old, she's still considering a career path. She would like to help other members of the Latino community by becoming an interpreter in the judicial or healthcare fields, but she enjoys culinary arts and is seriously considering that as a career choice.  Whatever path she chooses, her counselor knows she will succeed.  "Sherlie is smart, confident, and mature.  She's out to change the world, and she's not going to let anything stand in her way."