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Group therapy turns crisis into mental health success story

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Zach's story is an example of what can happen with the right kind of help.

AURORA – Few people are willing to publicly share their experiences with mental illness because of the stigma.

However, Robin and Mark Cutright are sharing the struggles and successes of their oldest son Zach to inspire others in crisis to seek help.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Zach's story is an example of what can happen with the right kind of help.

“Even though he has high-functioning autism, it was a struggle once the depression hit,” Zach’s mom said. “He couldn’t quite do it on his own.”

She said it started about 16 months ago. Zach’s depression resulted in about 50 emergency room visits and dozens more stops at crisis centers.

“Just major depression where it felt like Groundhog Day,” she said. “Every few days he would just regress backwards and start feeling depressed and not be able to cope.”

When Zach would start to think about taking his own life, he would seek help at an ER.

His family’s health insurance eventually approved treatment in The Medical Center of Aurora’s partial hospitalization program.

Zach spent about five weeks in the program, which uses art therapy, recreational therapy, music therapy, occupational therapy and other kinds of group activity-based therapies.

“I think Zach’s struggle with the autism was really around the kind of social interaction,” Director of Outpatient Services at The Medical Center of Aurora Jeff Johnson said.

“So, having those other outlets for Zach to express himself through music, through the art, through the rec therapy, really helped Zach feel comfortable in the environment that he was in because we didn’t really ask him to process or talk for five hours. We gave him other interventions to be able to express himself.”

Zach had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and autism.

Johnson said when Zach started the treatment program, he was anxious, nervous and reluctant to have any faith that this program would be any different.

“The first week was awful,” Robin said. “He didn’t want to stay. Finally, after about a week, I could start to see him getting better. It was just amazing. I think part of the problem was that he – that Zach was just not thinking that he needed help. He kept thinking he could do it on his own.”

Johnson said therapy gave Zach the tools, techniques and strategies to manage himself. He learned to cope with negative emotions and uncomfortable feelings by getting outside and being active, listening to music and accepting help from his family.

“I think that’s the ultimate tool in mental health is how do I cope with the challenges that life throws at us, the curve balls, and when we get flipped upside down,” Johnson said. “How do I cope with that in a healthy, productive manner that keeps me moving forward in life.”

Zach’s mom said the program gave him the feeling that he was worth the work and that when he got better, people wanted to be with him.

“I think having a person in your family that has a disability makes for a stronger family, quite honestly,” she said. “And I don’t see it as a burden to our family at all.”

Zach is now able to participate again in trivia night with his dad at a local restaurant once a week, and his mom encourages him to have some sort of daily social interaction. That could be as simple as talking to the cashier at the grocery store or going out to eat.

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