Jerry's testimony

About three weeks ago, I decided to reveal to my wife my lifelong struggle with SSA. Only someone who has experienced that personally can appreciate what the experience is like. You have given a voice to a part of you that has been stifled for a lifetime, and that is so liberating. You have also unleashed a demon that must now be dealt with in the light of day. Even after all the years of thinking about doing this, I had no idea of the questions that would be raised and the answers that I would be expected to give. I just knew that I wanted to be free from the burden of my dark secret.

Within days, I had visited with my bishop and secured the services of a fine counselor. It was my wonderful wife who discovered the Evergreen International Website while I was having my first counseling appointment. I was very resistant to the idea of going to the Evergreen site. It was not until later that evening when I was feeling so fragile and alone that I went looking for help. I have spent a lot of time at the Evergreen site. It has been a lifesaver for me. I now know that I am not alone, after all these years.

At my wife's suggestion, I had already spent time at the church Website. The testimonies of the prophets and other General Authorities fortified me spiritually, but it was the shared experiences of other LDS men that sustained me during those first few days when I felt so alone.

Thank you to all who are involved at Evergreen International, or who have allowed their stories to be told. It all helps and fills a need for me.

Jerry, Oregon