The journey for a talented musician took a dramatic turn in 1999 when Theresa San Luis was an undergraduate English and music major at the University of Notre Dame. A sophomore at the time, Theresa's deteriorating mental health was interfering with school and relationships.
"I was doing very poorly in school," said San Luis. "I could not focus. Finally, at my wit's end, I saw a psychiatrist."
After a 9 day hospital stay, doctors diagnosed San Luis with schizoaffective disorder, a rare and difficult to diagnose combination of symptoms: hallucinations, anxiety, mania, and depression.
"It has components of bipolar and schizophrenia," said San Luis. "With medication my condition is very manageable. For so many years, up until I was 19, I was left undiagnosed and for so many years I did not have treatment for symptoms that were debilitating at times."
A support system that includes her church, her university, psychiatric therapy, and medication allows Theresa San Luis to thrive at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
"Now I'm in grad school for my second time, earning my third degree. I am at SIUE, earning a 4.0 grade point average," said San Luis.
Sitting at the piano, San Luis' fingers float over the keys as she plays an original composition titled "Leap of Faith", which seems to sum up her life philosophy.
"You've got to have a leap of faith in this world sometimes because you've just got to take a risk."
For a young, educated woman seeking a career, there is risk in speaking so openly about her own mental illness. She knows from experience that employers and society sometimes don't understand.
"It does make me afraid. I am vulnerable doing an interview like this," said San Luis. "However, this is an upward battle and it's worth taking because this message needs to get out about people getting the help they need with proper psychotherapy and psychiatry."
For San Luis, her leap of faith means not remaining silent. Her message: don't be afraid to seek help if you're struggling with mental illness, and don't be afraid to offer help when you see someone who needs it.
"It's a journey that not many people have role models for, but I hope to be a role model some day and say 'look, you can get through this.'"
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