Title : The life i never thought I’d live: Mental illness, addiction, and finding my way back

Background: Conversations about mental illness, addiction, and suicide prevention are often shaped by clinical expertise, but the voices of people who have lived through these experiences are equally important. In Belize, stigma surrounding psychiatric diagnoses, substance use, and suicide can make it difficult to ask for help or speak openly. This presentation offers a first-person perspective on these challenges through the experience of a Belizean educator and mental health advocate who lives with borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, has survived a suicide attempt, and has navigated addiction to alcohol and benzodiazepines.

Approach: This is a reflective lived-experience presentation, not an empirical research study. It draws on the presenter’s personal recovery journey, five years of sobriety celebrated in 2026, work as a primary school teacher, and involvement in mental health advocacy in Belize and internationally. The presentation will explore the impact of shame and delayed understanding of mental health needs, the complicated relationship between mental illness and substance use, and the importance of compassionate, person-centered responses. It will also consider how cultural attitudes toward drinking and psychiatric conditions can affect whether people seek support.

Insights: The narrative highlights several lessons from lived experience: recovery is not a simple or linear process; a person may continue to struggle while building a meaningful life; and feeling heard, respected, and connected to others can make a significant difference. It also illustrates how judgment and stigma may discourage honesty, while supportive relationships and opportunities to contribute can help sustain hope. These are personal insights rather than generalizable study results.

Conclusion: Suicide prevention and addiction care benefit when lived-experience perspectives are included alongside clinical and research knowledge. The presentation invites clinicians, researchers, educators, and advocates to consider how language, listening, and culturally sensitive support can reduce shame and create more welcoming pathways to help. Its central message is that people should not be defined solely by a diagnosis, a crisis, or an addiction, and that recovery can coexist with ongoing challenges.

Sahar Vasquez is a primary school teacher and mental health advocate from Belize and co-founder of Mind Health Connect Belize. Drawing on her lived experience of borderline personality disorder, OCD, ADHD, suicide survival, and addiction recovery, she advocates for more open conversations about stigma and access to support. In 2026, she celebrated five years of sobriety. Her advocacy experience includes speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, participating in international mental health discussions involving the Pan American Health Organization, and the Orygen Global Fellowship. She hopes to bring a Belizean and Caribbean lived-experience perspective to global mental health conversations.