Loading ...When Dad’s strange behaviour started to affect us all,Mom got him to go with her to the
family health centre where they met with a counsellor. She arranged for Dad to be seen by a
doctor who told them that he was suffering from a mental illness;he arranged for Dad to be
seen by a psychiatrist,a specialist from a city hospital about 30 miles away who came to our
town from time to time to help family doctors provide their patients with the most effective
on-going care and treatment. The counsellor sat down with Mom and me,explained the
nature of Dad’s illness and helped us understand what was wrong with him and what he was
going through. She gave Mom some information to read and arranged for her to join a
training and support group made up of the family members of people affected by the same
kind of mental illness that Dad had. As we learned more about the disease and its effects,
both Mom and I became much more comfortable talking about Dad’s illness with our
neighbours and others,including my classmates and friends. We were able to cope much
better with his periods of erratic behaviour that,even with his medication and treatment,still
affected him from time to time.
As soon as Mom began to notice my mood swings she talked me into going with her to the
family health centre where we saw the counsellor again. I also saw the doctor who referred
me to a psychiatrist right away who told me that I was suffering from the same kind of
mental illness that Dad had. She prescribed some medication that helped me control my
moods and behaviour. With the symptoms under better control I was able to concentrate. I
stayed in school and,with the counsellor’s help with day-to-day problems,I did OK. I also
joined a support group made up of other kids my age who were also coping with illnesses of
one kind or another,most of them mental,like mine. My friends stuck by me;they knew I
was sick,not weird!
Mom and Dad (who was much better then) talked with me about what they saw going on.
They persuaded me to go to the family health centre to see the same doctor who had been
monitoring my medication ever since I first got sick. He arranged for my admission to the
local acute-care (Schedule 1) hospital for a short stay during which a psychiatrist from the
city adjusted my medication. I also went every day to an educational program where I
learned new skills to cope with my symptoms better. They didn’t go away completely but my
condition improved fairly quickly.
When I got out of hospital I was referred to the town’s satellite office of a provincial mental
health program where I established regular contact with a case manager who helped me
apply for a disability (ODSP) allowance. I continued to see the psychiatrist on her regular
visits to town. My case manager also arranged a regular ride to the city for me where I went
to a skills training program twice a week. I got a new apartment and,after a while,with the
help of an employment support worker I got a part-time job in town to supplement my
ODSP cheque.
After the police took me to the hospital,I was only there for a short period until my
symptoms stabilized. The hospital arranged for my case considered by the Court Diversion
program and re-connected me with my case manager;no criminal charges were laid. My
psychiatrist and the psychiatric hospital team in the city decided I would benefit from a
referral to an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team there. They arranged for me to
move into supportive housing right there in the city where I had ready access to the outreach
services of the Team and hospital and still be only a short bus ride away from my family and
friends in my home town.
My symptoms stayed under pretty good control. I continued to live in the city. A little while
after I recovered from my last episode I volunteered to work in a consumer initiative
program. The rules had been changed so I was able to retain my OSDP benefits while
working as a volunteer I did such a good job,before very long I was offered a position as a
member of the staff. I continued to work there regularly. Knowing that I was capable of
doing useful work to support myself was the best treatment of all for my mental illness.
Being independent is a great confidence-booster and when I am confident I can cope very
well with my illness.
After a while I decided to leave supportive housing and get my own apartment. I thought
about going home but with the encouragement of the ACT Team I decided to remain in the
city where I could enrol,part-time,in the early childhood education program at the college
there. It was great to be able to pursue my interest in children and I found out that I was a
pretty good teacher. With the ACT Team helping me over the rough spots,I completed the
course,and graduated.
I really felt well and,with my diploma in hand,I decided to move back home to be near my
family and more of the friends I grew up with. I didn’t need the ACT Team any more but
they referred me to a case management service in my home town where I could get ongoing
support when I needed it.
After I got my own apartment,I got in touch with the case management team who worked
with me so that I could recognize signs of relapse threatening and seek help right from the
start. I also got involved with a consumer support group in town where I was able to meet
with a mental health worker whenever I felt a need to talk with somebody about my illness. I
had good and bad days,of course,but most of them were good and soon I felt well enough
to look for work. It wasn’t long before I got a full time job in a daycare where I made
enough money to support myself. It felt really good not to have to depend on my disability
(OSDP) payments any more.
It was hard to accept that after so many years of coping so well on my own with only the
occasional need for help from my case manager but about this time I realized that my old
symptoms were not as easy to overcome as they were a few years ago. I saw my family
doctor,mental health worker and case manager and we all agreed that I needed more
intensive help than they were able to provide. I was referred to a Geriatric team that worked
out and provided the support necessary to help me stay in my own home. I was able to call
on them any time I ran into a problem I couldn’t deal with alone. I became a member of the
seniors centre in town where I kept in touch with my old friends and met a lot of new ones
too who were always willing to help me when I needed it. With all that help I was able to
stay happily at home in my own apartment for the rest of my life.
