In 1993, when her firstborn child was 18 months old, Missy Nicholson admitted herself to a psychiatric unit. She had a history of depression and was starting to realize that if she wanted to be a good mom, she needed help managing her mental health.
Every morning, all the psychiatric patients would sit in a circle for group therapy.
"People were encouraged to tell their stories or open up about whatever [was] on their minds. And I didn't feel like I was really able to open up for a while," Nicholson recalled.
Around the same time she was admitted, another woman, who appeared to be in her 20s, was brought onto the ward.
"She was this beautiful young blond woman, but she was just — something was terribly wrong," Nicholson remembered.
Nicholson noticed that, unlike other patients, the young woman's bed was parked next to the nurse's station.
"She had attempted to kill herself, so she had to be under constant watch," Nicholson said. "She just seemed catatonic. She just gazed into the distance and didn't seem to have any connection to the outside world. It was sad."
A couple of days after arriving, Nicholson found herself opening up during group therapy. She talked about her history and what had led her to seek care.
"I was just sort of pouring my guts out and sobbing. And all of a sudden, I felt a hand take my hand."
When she looked over, Nicholson realized the hand belonged to the young woman.
"It was just such a powerful moment, because I realized this person who was in so much pain was able, despite that, to reach out and really make a connection with me. And I felt so safe in that moment and so seen and heard."
The two women didn't interact again until a couple of days before Nicholson was ready to be released. They passed each other in a hallway, walking in opposite directions.
"It was great to see that she had sort of broken out of this horrible shell she was in, and I was doing much better," Nicholson recalled. "We sort of smiled and waved at each other and walked out of each other's lives."
Nicholson may have never seen the woman again, but their moment of connection will be something she will always cherish.
"I think the reason that it really stuck with me is that it made me realize how simple a gesture can make a huge difference in somebody's life," Nicholson said.
Nicholson's daughter is now in her 30s, and her son is in his 20s. She shares a close bond with both of them, which she believes is strengthened in large part by her decision to seek psychiatric help when she needed it.
My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes are released every Tuesday. To share the story of your unsung hero with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.
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