Emma’s Story – How it is

Out of the Shadows at Last

Transforming Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction Services in Canada

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

What follows is a true story, a personal history provided to the Committee by Emmy (not
her real name), a person affected by a mental illness. Emmy’s words and expressions have
been changed slightly but it remains her story. It describes how she and her family have been
dealt with by the current health care and social services “system” through six episodes of
acute illness. Emmy’s story “The Way It Is” describes how things actually work and don’t
work for the great majority of Canadians with mental illness.

At the end of Emmy’s actual story is another one — a description of how she, her family
and the members of this Committee would hope and expect her to be treated in a
transformed system “The Way it Should Be” reflects what we hope will be created by
implementation of the recommendations in this Report.

For information about recovery for people with mental illness, click HERE.