MY STORY
On January 22nd 2021, two days after my 19th birthday, I overdosed on my prescription medications in an attempt to end my life. Over the course of the next year I nearly died in a car accident, was subsequently placed on a forced medical leave of absence from my school, and was then disowned by my biological family when they kicked me out of my home over Christmas.
Now, over 4 years later, not only have I overcome these obstacles, but I have become a leader in the mental health field, both in my local community, as well as at the state, national, and international levels. Recovery is possible, and people are so much more than their past, their trauma, or their mental illness. My name is Taylor Locke and this is my story.
What Doesn't Kill You...
I was abused throughout most of my childhood. Luckily, this didn't stop me from getting a full-ride Naval ROTC scholarship to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. However, due to my inability to understand healthy relationships or how to enforce my own boundaries, I was sexually assaulted by my closest friend during my first semester of college. I started seeing a therapist and taking medications, but it wasn't enough to help, and the sleep meds I was on prevented me from being able to sleep at all.
I started hallucinating due to sleep deprivation and overdosed on my pills to try to end it all. I spent a week in the psychiatric ward and stabilized remarkably fast. My treating physicians determined the best thing for me was to go back to school, as this would be much better than the alternative. Unfortunately, my school did not agree. I was deemed a liability risk, and the day I was supposed to return to campus I was instead placed on a forced medical leave of absence. My car exploded on my drive home, and the subsequent year of abuse from my parents resulted with me getting kicked out of my home on December 29th of 2021.
... Makes You Stronger
Despite becoming a homeless 19-year-old orphan, I chose to leave my toxic family behind and focus on my academics and military career. That summer, I piloted a nuclear-powered submarine just weeks before getting my driver's license and would later present the Colors for the National Anthem live on television during the Boston Red Sox's opening weekend game of the 2023 season. My family, however, could not be content with the idea of me having made a life for myself or being happy on my own without them, so they attempted to file a restraining order against me. After a year-long legal battle, the entire case was thrown out and their request for the order denied.
I legally changed my name to Taylor Iris Locke, severing ties with my biological family once and for all and embracing my new adoptive family who have since shown me that love can and should exist without fear or pain. I passed my interview to be permitted into the Naval Nuclear Reactors program, however, after a re-evaluation of my medical records I was medically discharged due to my history of PTSD. While I was initially disappointed, I now believe this decision was for the best, and if my experiences have taught me anything it's that there is no obstacle I can't overcome.
I'm Here to Make a Change
Though I could have pursued a lucrative career with my degree in the civilian sector, I realized this wasn't what I wanted to do with my life, and so I decided to switch careers entirely and have dedicated myself to mental health advocacy. I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the New York Capital Region Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and I have been a part of various national initiatives through both NAMI and Mental Health America.
This past September, I was honored to be appointed to represent the United States on the Global Mental Health Peer Network's Country Leadership Committee. More recently, I have been accepted onto the NAMI New York State Youth Advisory Committee, and the inaugural Lived Experience Focus group for the PLOS Mental Health Journal. I will continue to use these platforms to share my story, while also leveraging my connections and experience to advocate for policy changes in supporting people with mental illness.