When the Utah state chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness invited me to speak at a public meeting and talk to state legislators in January, my tour guide was Francisca Blanc, NAMI Utah’s development director. She knew every state legislator, was an effective lobbyist and a whiz at getting me on Salt Lake City television and radio programs.
At one point, she told me that she had been struggling with her own mental illness, including bouts of depression, for more than two decades.
What she didn’t tell me during our jam-packed day together was that she was self-medicating with booze during my visit. Lots of booze. I had no idea because she hid it so well. But shortly after my visit, Francisca crashed and ended up in a emergency room.
Last week, I returned to Utah to speak at a Housing Matters Conference held by the Utah Housing Coalition in Park City and I was thrilled to see Francisca waiting there to introduce me. She had quite a story to share.