As a survivor of domestic violence and someone living with complex PTSD and anxiety, I rely on Medicaid to access the mental health care I need -- not just to function, but to survive. Without this coverage, I would be unable to maintain the consistent therapy that helps me manage triggers, process trauma and stay grounded.

Recently, the clinic where I receive therapy ran out of funding and had to close for several weeks. That unexpected interruption sent me spiraling. It heightened my anxiety, reopened old wounds and left me feeling unsafe. Sadly, this is not a rare occurrence. Clark County already faces a shortage of mental health providers.

Medicaid is the only lifeline many of us have. It offers access to therapy, medication management and other vital services that help prevent crises and hospitalizations.

Cutting Medicaid won't fix the mental health provider shortage. It won't ease the burden on emergency rooms or reduce the number of people in crisis. It will only make things worse -- more instability, more suffering, more preventable tragedies.

I urge our elected officials: Protect and expand Medicaid. Our lives, our healing and our futures depend on it.