DULUTH - Being a teenager is hard.

Being a teenager with depression and bipolar disorder can make life seem unlivable.

Between the Summers of 2008 and 2009, Miller–Dawn has admitted on average 15 young people every week to their adolescent psychiatric unit.

That's over 750 people under the age of 18 who have needed to be hospitalized for intensive mental health treatment in one year.

Seventeen year–old Betsy Johnson is one of them

Betsy has a passion for all things musical.

She loves to play it, listen to it and dance to it.

But less than two years ago, even her passion couldn't keep her from wanting to die.

"There were sometimes when just nothing helped," said Betsy.

In Betsy's 17 years, she's been at Miller–Dwan eight times for intensive mental health treatment.

She says she's always had depression but, it was the summer before her 10th grade year when things took a turn for the worse.

Betsy's parents got divorced when she was only one year old.

Since then, she's lived with her mother – but in the Summer of 2007, Betsy's abusive boyfriend was also living with them.

Set off by scene after scene of violence, Betsy's mental illness began to take full form.

"I had always had depression but this really sparked it. And it caused a big spiral downward. I ended up self injuring and I was cutting myself. I was burning myself and I was struggling with eating disorders," said Betsy.

Battling with extreme emotional highs and lows Betsy now attributes to bipolar disorder, the young woman was lost.

"It's hard because it gets in the way. It gets in the way of hanging out with my friends. Gets in the way of dance, of my school work, my grades will drop... "

Despite her family and friends' attempts to help her, Betsy was feeling trapped by her illnesses.

On March 3rd, 2008, she decided she had to escape.

"I took probably a little over half a bottle of Excedrin. I just take one, swallow it, and I just kept going," said Betsy.

She also took ten times the normal dosage of Seroquel, a drug prescribed to treat bipolar disorder.

"I think I was just mad and angry and I just wanted to be done," said Betsy.

The amount of medication the teenage ingested that day almost killed her.

Her heart rate reached 180 beats per minute and her blood pressure was in the low 40s.

"I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life because I just remember thinking over and over again, 'If I close my eyes I'm going to die. I don't want to die. I have to keep my eyes open,'" said Betsy.

Betsy spent less than two days in the hospital and five days in Miller–Dwan's inpatient program.

She didn't feel ready to leave – but suddenly, she found herself back in class – almost as if nothing had happened.

"So, it was really hard to transition back and I was still seeing my therapist but that was like once a week or every other week. So, it was really hard because it was just like being thrown back to the sharks," said Betsy.

Over the next weeks and months Betsy would continue to battle with her depression and bipolar disorder – going back to Miller–Dwan for treatment four times.

Without music, Betsy's says she not sure she would have survived.

"I was terribly worried about her," said Joanna Walters.

Walters has known Betsy for six years.

"Her and I really hit it off pretty much immediately," said Joanna.

The Duluth Central High School Orchestra Director knows how important music can be for kids – especially those who are struggling with mental illness.

"A lot of the kids that have these issues are not kids that can wait," said Joanna. "They don't have any place to turn sometimes."

"Betsy is the second student that I have had in my six years here, that has told me flat out, 'If I wasn't in your program. If I wasn't in orchestra with you I'd have committed suicide,'" said Joanna.

"It's been a long journey," said Betsy.

Knowing how hard it is for kids to get the help the need, Betsy feels fortunate for the care she got at Miller-Dwan.

There are only 16 available beds in the Adolescent Psychiatric Unit at Miller–Dwan, where Betsy stayed on six different occasions.

In the partial hospitalization program, where Betsy was treated twice, there are only eight spots for teenagers.

And there are always people on waiting lists.

After all this time and heartache, Joanna is happy to see things are finally turning around for Betsy.

"Yeah, she's doing awesome. She's just wonderful," said Joanna. "I just love her. She's like my own girl."

"For the first time I know what I wanna do and I have a plan," said Betsy.

Betsy says her goal is to work with adolescents with mental illness, just like herself.

After college, she plans to go on to graduate school to become a music therapist.

"It's still so weird to me that I'm graduating because for the longest time I didn't even see myself living to graduation," said the 17 year-old.

"That I survived through all of this, that I lived through all of this... I feel like I am the voice for those who can't speak," said Betsy. "I am living proof that you can get out of it. You can make it through and you can get help.

If you or someone you know needs help with a mental illness, please call:

Crisis Line 218-723-0099 - Urgent assistance

General mental health questions and concerns - Referral Center 218-786-5944 or toll Free 888-826-0099.