From Darkness to Hope: A Colorado Springs Teen’s Journey Through Depression and Healing

This story reflects the growing need for teen mental health support in Colorado Springs and beyond.

In middle school, London spiraled into a deep depression. But at just 12 years old, she found the courage to bravely tell her parents the devastating feelings she was having: “I don’t want to be here anymore.” For London’s mom, Melissa, and dad, John, those words were gut-wrenching—a moment that marked the beginning of a long, uncertain journey through multiple hospitals, endless medications and a darkness that seemed impossible to escape.

Over the next year, London was admitted to several facilities, each time hoping for relief that never came. Instead, the treatments left her feeling worse. At one point, she was taking 15 pills a day—so many that she could barely function. “She wasn’t herself anymore,” Melissa recalls. “She was a zombie.” The vibrant, artistic girl they knew seemed lost beneath layers of medication and despair.

Teen Mental Health Care in Colorado Springs

Everything shifted when London’s family found the Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) at Children’s Hospital Colorado. PHP is an intensive, structured mental health program designed for kids and teens who need more support than traditional outpatient therapy but don’t require overnight hospitalization. It runs Monday through Friday, allowing patients to spend full days in treatment and return home at night. The program focuses on stabilizing serious mental health challenges, such as suicidal thoughts, severe depression, anxiety, and self-harm, while helping kids regain the ability to function at school, at home, and in their communities.

The program gave London more than stability—it gave her tools to navigate life. Through family therapy and structured milestones, she learned coping strategies for ADHD, anxiety, and severe depression. Creative outlets like art became her lifeline. During her darkest days, her drawings were stark black and white sketches filled with heavy lines and shadows, reflecting the weight she carried inside. As her healing began, color slowly crept in; muted grays gave way to splashes of blue and green, then bursts of vibrant hues. One of her final pieces featured a figure with rainbow-colored hair—a bold symbol of hope and transformation. Her 30-day art project, spread across three giant poster boards, tells the story of her journey in vivid detail: from isolation and despair to light and possibility.

For the first time in years, London was allowed to feel her feelings in a safe, supportive environment. And along the way, London discovered something important and powerful: her voice matters. Today, London is thriving in high school, co-chairing Children’s Colorado’s Youth Advisory Council, and inspiring others with her resilience.