Ryan had been Baker Acted in Florida 13 times, and it was looking as if he was going to be institutionalized into a state hospital as a throwaway. Over a course of 15 years, he was put on ADHD medications like Adderall, Ritalin, and Dexedrine, and other drugs like Risperdal, Lamictal, Lithium, Depakote, Geodon, Seroquel, Wellbutrin, and Ativan. His mom and his family knew there was hope, but didn't know where to find the help that would see the light in him. By some act of providence, they found the Alternative to Meds Center in Sedona who agreed that Ryan's situation looked promising, even though on arrival he was punching the trees in a manic state on Abilify.

This story was captured at the 5-year post Alternative to Meds Center reunion for Ryan. In treatment, he was able to get off 400 mg Abilify Maintena injections plus 40 mg oral Abilify and 2 mg Ativan. He left stable and was never hospitalized again. After some years, he went back to the psychiatrist who did the majority of involuntary commitments, for the purposes of trying to get "undiagnosed" so that he could obtain a commercial trucking license. The doctor was astonished and claimed he had never seen anything like it and paraded him around to the other doctors in his office in disbelief, and proceeded to diagnose him as "normal." Ryan is now a commercial trucker and also coaches people on the side who are on similar journeys of life after antipsychotics.