Help Holly raise money

Hi everyone! I am Holly Thompson, a sixteen year old junior at Hopkinton High School, and a member of the Young Adult Advisory Board with Mental Health Collaborative. I am very excited to run the Falmouth Road Race for MHC this summer. After running the race last year, I knew it wouldn’t be my last time. I had so much fun and had never felt so free as I ran down the streets of Falmouth, watching the beautiful ocean and gorgeous scenery pass me by and receiving so much support along the way. Running has completely changed my life. Exercise is incredibly important to me, whether I am biking, swimming, or simply walking my dogs through the neighborhood. Last year, I wrote a detailed paragraph about my past struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD. This year, however, I faced a much different animal. Following an incredible summer, I was not prepared for the struggles I would face beginning in late August. In September, I fell into a depressive episode, impairing my ability to function from day to day at the beginning of the hardest year of high school. November provided temporary relief, but I still felt lost as I continued to fight against something I could not prevent. December was the beginning of the end. I began experiencing physical side effects, such as headaches, nausea, weight loss, dizziness, trouble breathing, and the list goes on. No physical pain, however, compared to the mental torture each day put me through. I found myself sobbing in the bathroom of my high school, the world around me disappearing until I found myself in a darkness deeper than the lights of the classroom and the sun that shone around me. Not only did the world disappear, though. I did too. In February, I left school for over a month to participate in a nearby outpatient program for seven weeks. I was diagnosed with Bipolar II after experiencing an intense but short lived hypomanic episode fueled by an antidepressant. After returning to school, the stability did not last. It was painful to be inside my head, and I couldn’t be alone with my thoughts. I booked my time over April Break with plans and activities to distract myself and fell into a pattern. Spiraling, disconnected from the world, unable to stop the thoughts in my head, followed by a dull numbness that left me powerless, empty and completely out of control. I attempted to control anything I possibly could, such as exercise. I began running consistently, but the short term relief did not cure my problems. My medication no longer supported me; it worked against me. Beginning at the start of June, I began an inpatient program. In two days, I will be discharged to return to school for the last few days of the year. Running has continued to help me throughout the program, and I utilize my time outdoors as well as free periods to exercise as much as possible, running laps around the small courtyard and working out in my room. I could not be happier to represent MHC in the Falmouth Road Race, supporting an incredible team of people who raise awareness and tear down stigma surrounding mental health while continuing to follow my passion of running. I hope you all have an amazing summer and will help me to support this important cause and better the lives of many.