I Am Living Proof

I am living proof that early and continuous medical care for serious mental illness is not only humane — it is fiscally responsible.

There was a time when I could have easily become another statistic in the criminal system. Instead, I became a taxpayer, educator, mother, and advocate. The difference was timely treatment.

The Cost of Care vs. The Cost of Criminalization
Years ago, I documented the financial impact of my illness to better understand the broader policy implications. The numbers were striking.

In 2012 dollars, the estimated annual cost of criminalization for someone like me would have been approximately $35,071 per year, plus at least $25,000 in lost annual tax revenue. That is roughly $50,000 more per year than the cost of appropriate medical treatment.

By contrast, my annual medical, dental, and mental health care costs in 2012 were approximately $10,000.

The math is simple. Denying care costs states far more than providing it. Expanding access to early and continuous treatment saves families, communities, and taxpayers both financially and emotionally.

My First Episode: 2006In 2006, while living in Bow, New Hampshire, I experienced my first psychotic episode and was hospitalized at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester.

At the time, I was married, raising a young child, and had health insurance. Most importantly, healthcare providers recognized that I needed early intervention.

My first episode was triggered by unresolved trauma from sexual abuse. I lacked the coping skills at the time to process it. During psychosis, I believed license plates carried special meanings and messages. My perception of reality was profoundly altered. The experience was terrifying and consuming. I had no control over the thoughts entering my mind — only over how I responded to them.

Because my family got me to the hospital in time, I was in a safe environment when I lost touch with reality. Medication gradually resolved the delusions. No one was harmed. I was treated as a patient, not a criminal.

That early intervention changed the trajectory of my life.

Diagnosis, Treatment, and Stability
Over time, my diagnoses evolved — including delusional disorder, schizophrenia, and later schizoaffective disorder. I learned that without medication, or during certain medication changes, my perceptions can become unreliable.

Hospitalization and antipsychotic treatment allowed me to return to reality and regain insight. I learned to trust in others again.

I also learned that sobriety is essential for my stability. I live with zero alcohol or mind-altering substances. I ground my hope in reality through recovery principles and 12-step sobriety.

Today, I understand that changes in my mental health can function like a medical alarm system.

In January 2026, mental health symptoms prompted me to seek emergency care. That evaluation revealed a massive blood clot in my leg — a potentially fatal condition. My mental health symptoms led me to the hospital in time to save my life.

Just as a smoke alarm signals danger, changes in mental health can signal underlying medical conditions requiring urgent attention.

What Could Have Happened
Without timely treatment, I could have been jailed for a treatable illness.

During psychosis, my beliefs felt real, urgent, and actionable. If intervention had been delayed, I might have acted on those beliefs in ways that violated the law. Early care prevented harm, preserved my family, and kept me out of the criminal legal system.

The timing of treatment matters.

Returning to Work and Giving Back
With medical clearance, I returned to school and work. I graduated from the University of New Hampshire with top grades. I resumed teaching in allied dental education, managed oral health programs, volunteered in my community, and raised my daughter.

Over time, I advanced professionally, including serving as an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at NYU. I have lived and worked in New Hampshire, New York, Kansas City, and beyond — maintaining strong community ties and continuing to contribute economically and socially.

Today, I pay taxes. I support my family. I work to improve health outcomes for others.
Keeping me alive and well allows me to keep contributing.

Preventive Care Reduces Long-Term Costs
As a public health professional, I emphasize that preventive care — mental, medical, and dental — reduces suffering and long-term expense. Seeking care early saves lives.

Serious mental illness is treatable. Recovery is possible. Early access to compassionate, evidence-based care saves lives and money.

Mental illness does not erase a person’s humanity. It reveals our shared vulnerability.

With timely medical treatment, people can recover, work, love, and thrive.

Treatment saves. Neglect costs.

In health,
Ashley C. Grill, MPH, RDH

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Today, because Ashley had access to timely, appropriate medical care, she is living a full and meaningful life in recovery. She is healthy, employed, creative, engaged in her community, and grounded in sobriety. She maintains loving relationships, contributes professionally, pays taxes, and uses her lived experience to educate and uplift others. Her life is not defined by her diagnosis, but by her resilience, discipline, faith, and commitment to wellness. Recovery did not happen by chance — it happened because treatment was available when she needed it. Ashley’s story is proof that when we invest in care, we preserve human potential.