Motivation
Dear Friends,
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You may have never met me, but if you have taken the time to scroll through this website, there is a good chance that we may be more connected than you think. If you have experienced a mental health disorder or had to walk it out with a family member, then you understand. My journey through OCD, Depression, and Panic Disorder changed my life and set me on a journey to help make evidence-based care more accessible in our home city of Cincinnati. I love Cincinnati, but having grown up across South America, I am equally passionate about extending this care to our Colombian brothers and sisters. Since we opened The Anxiety Center, I have envisioned a center willing to take a bold step toward making mental health care more equitable. We are here to take that step and hope you do it with us.
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With Love,
Dr. Nathan Fite
I say that building peace is like building a cathedral. You have to have a solid base, and then you do it brick by brick. But the process is irreversible. There's no way back.
Juan Manuel Santos
Nobel Peace Prize
Former President of Colombia
Where there is beauty there is suffering
It's hard to imagine a more beautiful place than Colombia. It occupies the northwest corner of South America. Its remarkable ecological diversity includes the expansive Amazon basin, towering Andes mountains, warm grassland plains, and the golden caribbean coastline. Equally as diverse are it's people who have grown to be characterized by their kindness and resilience.
Suffering wins when we remain indifferent.
To understand the complex reality of mental health in Colombia, one must also understand the 60 years of unrelenting armed conflict that plagued the country with high rates of homicide, gang activity, drug trafficking, and the forced displacement of its civilians. Despite the strides of the Government to address this violence, Colombia remains a country scarred by intergenerational trauma. The remnants of a tumultuous past can be found in results from the National Health Survey indicates that at least 10 percent of adults have symptoms of psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, and major depression
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
Cultural Anthropologist
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The World Health Organization's most recent report shows that Colombia has fewer than 2 psychiatrists for every 100,000 citizens. This is one-fifth of WHO recommendations and a window into the disparities in mental health access. Colombian practitioners are eager to step up but need support in meeting the demand. Our founding organization, The Anxiety Center, has committed to helping support the training of the next generation of Colombian mental health clinicians through four annual clinical fellowships and business internships. The goal is the formation of high-quality nonprofit clinics across Colombia but beginning in Bogotá. We are asking for your support in financing the facility lease, medical equipment, and scholarships so our clinicians can focus on what they do best, helping their patients.
