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At FHR PA, Individuals Living with Mental Illness Find a Resource for Recovery
Brian’s Story
Since opening its doors to the community in January 2004, Fellowship Health Resources Pennsylvania (FHR PA) has provided nearly 4,000 individuals with the resources necessary to live full and satisfying lives, while recovering from mental illness and addiction. One such individual is Brian and this is his story.
In January 2002, the day after my birthday, I tried to commit suicide. This was my third suicide attempt, and I was put in the hospital. Because of my depression and my history of suicide attempts, I was put on an Involuntary Outpatient Commitment to treatment. I began attending a facility where I tried several different medications. Unable to find the right medication for me, I kept taking myself off my medications and began abusing alcohol and drugs. This continued to lead to involuntary hospitalizations, twenty-two in all.
I continued having troubles with the mental health agency I was attending and I was eventually thrown out. That is when I was referred to FHR PA. I was very nervous during my intake because of all of the negative experiences I had in the past. I was assigned a Psychiatrist, a Therapist, an Intensive Case Manager (ICM), and later agreed to attend the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program (Psych Rehab). During my sessions and at Psych Rehab, I was treated with the utmost respect. This was very new to me. I began attending Psych Rehab three days per week. At first I was scared, but I made a lot of friends and everyone made me feel like I was worth something.
Everybody was very professional, courteous, and very helpful. The main objective of my treatment was to help me with my mental illness, and make me feel good about myself. Before I came to FHR PA, I had no confidence in myself and I always wished I would die.
My official start date at Fellowship Health Resources Pennsylvania was February 9, 2005, and my start date at Psych Rehab was March 9, 2005. These dates are very important to me because this was the start of my transformation.
I always feel good about myself coming to FHR PA. During every session, I was pushed to set goals and follow through with them. Because of this, I have been able to stay out of the hospital for the past two and a half years! With the help of my treatment team, along with the housing coordinator, I was able to move out of my father’s house and into my own apartment for the first time in my life; I’m 44 years old. I moved into a one-bedroom apartment across the street from FHR PA so I was close, in case I had any problems. Since I moved into my own apartment, I have become happy and very confident in myself for the first time in over ten years. I also started working part-time in a restaurant and help my friend out with DJ services.
I am very grateful for FHR PA, and I think that going there saved my life!
I am also happy to report that as of July 18, 2007, after five years, I was discharged from my Involuntary Outpatient order to treatment! I finally have an understanding of my illness and am learning how to properly manage my illness! I plan to continue attending services at FHR PA because I have no room for failure in my life, and I want to keep moving forward. I have never been happier than I am now, and I plan to continue moving up!
Brian’s Story Update
September 2008
Since I last had my story published, I have been off my court-ordered I.O.C. for over a year. I also renewed my lease at my apartment. My relationship with my father is great, and also with my brother. He got married in January 2008, and I was the best man and DJ in his wedding. I am still very happy and have a lot of self-confidence. I am working part-time still and I am still going to Fellowship and keeping my appointments. I have found a new medication that seems to work very well for me. I’m also in the process of cleaning out my old house where I have a lot of bad memories of losing my mother. My mother is still my inspiration to do well every day. I had a hard time letting go with the house in the beginning, but have come to realize having the house sold will be one of the best things for my mental health.
Editor’s Note: Brian is a client with Fellowship Pennsylvania (FHR PA) a Program of Fellowship Health Resources, Inc. FHR PA provides behavioral health services to the community, which includes the recovery model of a Single Clinical Home (SCH). Conveniently located on Wheatland Street in Phoenixville, PA, the program offers clients a broad range of comprehensive services, both on-site and in the clients’ home environment that were formerly not available within a single program. Key components of the model include: Outpatient Services, Targeted Case Management, a Psychiatric Rehabilitation Day Program, and a CTT (Community Treatment Team).
Recovery is real ... please consider being a part of our success and support FHR.
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Paradise on Paradise Street
Morris B.'s Story
I was very lucky to have found my way to Neil’s Place. Growing up in South Philadelphia, my life was very difficult and trying. I was in and out of medical facilities. I felt intimidated and insecure, growing up on the edge. My family wasn’t able to support me in a way that improved my life.
The neighborhood in which I lived was not safe or secure, and that makes Neil’s Place such a dream come true. At Neil’s Place, I live in a neighborhood that is warm and friendly where I have made close friends with my next door neighbors. Neil’s Place is the only decent home I’ve ever had.
Growing up, I received mental health treatment on and off from therapists. As time passed, I found a day program in Phoenixville. Since I was participating in a program in Phoenixville, I needed to find safe and secure housing. Places I stayed in were not what I wanted. They weren’t safe, and I did not feel secure. I felt that both my safety and mental health recovery were in jeopardy.
When the facility where I had been receiving day program services closed, I transferred to Fellowship Health Resources Pennsylvania and the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services program. Fellowship was a good fit for me and made me feel good about myself.
At Fellowship I worked with a case manager and, together, we made a plan for my supported living arrangements. I am better able to take responsibilities for my actions and feel good about what I am doing.
In 2008, I got to know Mariann Horan who told me about Neil’s Place, a transitional housing facility, where I might be able to have my own bedroom and live with three others sharing common areas.
When I found out that Neil’s Place was located on Paradise Street, I walked over to see the neighborhood. The minute I walked onto Paradise Street, I felt safe and secure. The street could not have been named better. This was the paradise I had been looking for and I knew I would be happy here.
Mariann helped me apply to Neil’s Place and I was accepted. I love living at Neil’s Place. It is the only real home I’ve ever had. I have my own bedroom and share common areas. Everyone has their own responsibilities.
While at Neil’s Place, I continue to participate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation, work with my case manager and receive supported living arrangements.
I always wanted to live in a neighborhood that was safe and friendly. With Neil’s Place, I have what I’ve always wanted. I love the neighborhood as well as the house. I don’t know what I would do without Neil’s Place in my life.
Recovery is real ... please consider being a part of our success and support FHR.
Editor's Note: Neil’s Place offers transitional residential housing for individuals who are able to live independently with minimal assistance, and are actively receiving service from Fellowship Health Resources.
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What a Difference FHR Has Made in My Life
Francesca's Story
My name is Francesca. Years ago I was facing many mental health challenges that resulted in my becoming homeless, beaten and robbed. It was during this time that, due to my schizophrenia, became involved in an assault that resulted in my incarceration in a federal prison. In the prison, the treatment I received for schizophrenia had me over-medicated and non-functional.
Upon my release, I learned about Fellowship Health Resources Pennsylvania, where I needed to be assessed and evaluated before I could be accepted into the programs.
Although the process was, at times, a challenge for me, I received the good news that I was a match for its new pilot program, Neil’s Place, a transitional housing program that was going to be opening very soon. I would live on the women’s side with three other women. We each would have our own bedroom, but share common areas.
The Housing Coordinator saw potential in me and it wasn’t long before she asked for my help. I became a friend and mentor to others at Neil’s Place.
FHR PA and Neil’s Place saved my life. I had been over-prescribed with medicine. I had various medical issues including problems with my heart. With the help of FHR PA’s psychiatrists, therapists, and programs, my life has entered a new direction. FHR PA has helped me to become stable.
I began participating in the Psychiatric Rehabilitation program where I learned how to cope with everyday issues, get along with my peers, make friends, improve my social skills and more. I now have my own apartment and am very happy and content. I truly enjoy living independently.
Over the last two years, I have faced severe medical issues, but I was able to cope and manage due to FHR PA’s support, programs, and friends.
I am so thankful to FHR PA. Staff has helped me to come out of my delusions and I now live in a real world. I am most grateful to my psychiatrist, family, and, especially, my son. I’m so happy I was able to come to FHR PA and get the help I needed.
Recovery is real ... please consider being a part of our success and support FHR.
Editor's Note: Neil’s Place offers transitional residential housing for individuals who are able to live independently with minimal assistance, and are actively receiving service from Fellowship Health Resources.
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Look At Me Now
Zelphia S.'s Story
To me, recovery means letting go of your former self so that a new sense of self can emerge. In this article I will share my personal experience of recovery as 1) a self-directed process of healing and transformation, and 2) a result of attending a special PSR program (Fellowship Health Resources).
When I was 52 years old and a working professional in a local community college, I began to have experiences of severe emotional distress that was labeled mental illness. My family was completely confused. Some days my behavior was totally my old self, while other days, I was very symptomatic. At this point, my family sought the professional help I needed.
After the medication took effect and I was in the hands of a psychiatrist, therapist and case manager, I decided it was time to move forward. I needed to regain a sense of wholeness.
My recovery began with me deciding to become as self-reliant as possible. I was living with my youngest daughter as this point. One day, I announced to my family I was moving into a women’s shelter. I believed it was crippling to lean on my family and it was time to take steps toward becoming more independent. I was right. Living in a shelter you are required to get up at a certain time, clean, eat on schedule, take your medication under supervision and go to bed. This was the type of structure I needed.
The next step was to begin to accept my illness. I was referred to a day hospital program. I pushed myself to participate in a group therapy session. I was determined to open up and reveal the enormous pain I was feeling. I received a tremendous amount of support from the staff and my peers. I knew my healing had begun. After one year in treatment, my therapist and I agreed it was time to take another step. I needed to be more engaged in employment.
I transitioned from the shelter to the YWCA and one year later to an apartment. Gradually, I was accepting responsibility for myself. Yet financially, I had to rely on my family. It took 2 ½ years for me to start receiving Social Security Disability (SSDI).
Because of the progress I was making, I accepted a job in a disability advocacy office. I worked a few hours a week helping with several special projects. I was also attending a second day treatment program. I was witnessing myself transforming into a new healthier self. Yet something was still missing.
Today, I am attending the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program (PSR) at Fellowship Health Resources, Inc. I am making tremendous strides toward recovery. I attribute my progress to a well-defined structured program that focuses on the whole person. A person-centered approach is used to develop and foster an environment of personal growth in every facet of life.
Fellowship offers an array of opportunities for all clients. If you are committed to your recovery you can achieve the goals you set based on your definition of recovery. Class activities are geared toward development in cognitive, leadership, communications, team building and daily living skills to name a few. Members also engage in socialization and recreational activities. Many outings in the community are an opportunity to use the skills learned.
Each member has an assigned case manager. Besides the administrative duties they are responsible for, I see them as coaches and mentors. They genuinely care about the welfare of each individual in the program. We all have different needs and goals and this is acknowledged by the staff.
Members can take advantage of many opportunities. I am President of the Members Advisory Council, I organize a peer tutoring program in basic reading, English and math and I am also a tutor; I have been a member of the month. I am a snack bar worker, a member of the National Alliance for Mental Illness in Wake County (NAMI Wake), a member of the National Association of Peer Specialists, Inc. (NAPS), I work part-time as a Peer Specialist in the Wellness Management and Recovery program, and I work with various committees.
I feel very fortunate to be a part of the Fellowship family. I know I have found what was missing in my life.
Recovery is real ... please consider being a part of our success and support FHR.
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Achieving His Dreams
Scott P.'s Story
Scott P.’s journey has, by his own accounts, not been an easy one. Spending most of his youth in a foster home, Scott came to Fellowship Health Resources (FHR) Maine in 2007 as a young man in his mid-twenties. The transition to living more independently was, at times, a struggle for Scott. He needed support from staff at Broadway House in many areas of his day-to-day activities. Together, they have succeeded in meeting many of Scott’s personal goals. Upon his arrival, preparing his own breakfast cereal was a challenge. Today, Scott cooks a very tasty meatloaf, and has made some of the biggest whoopee pies known to Maine.
Throughout the past three years, there have been many teaching and learning opportunities for both Scott and Broadway House staff. As with many of the Fellowship’s consumers, socialization and interaction within the community can be very stressful, and quite scary. To help with this transition, FHR Maine hired Community Integration Coordinator Nicole Cohen. Nicole has worked very hard in her new position and has helped Scott to reach some very difficult goals. Their one-on-one time together has given Scott the confidence to spend more time in the community, allowing him to face his social anxieties and cope with life’s challenges in what he calls “the real world.”
Recently, Scott and Nicole worked very diligently to achieve his dream of getting his driving permit. Nicole spent the time to help Scott read and understand the text of the study guide and to learn the rules of the road. At times, Nicole broke the text down word-by-word so that Scott could understand and grasp the context. This included changing her work hours to fit into Scott’s schedule. With Nicole reading him the written part of the driver’s exam, Scott’s dream came true and he passed his initial written driver’s exam to receive his driving permit. Scott’s next goal is to take lessons to learn how to drive. With Nicole in his corner, he’s confident that this, too, will soon be another accomplishment.
Recovery is real ... please consider being a part of our success and support FHR.
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"I Have Come a Long Way"
Arnie T.'s Story
“I have come a long way,” states Fall River Network consumer, Arnold T. (Arnie).
Arnie has been a member of Fellowship Health Resources (FHR) in Fall River, Massachusetts, since October 2001. Admitting to finding himself “caught up with drugs and in trouble with the law,” Arnie was diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder in 1988 and hospitalized in 1999. He has been prescribed several different medications in order to find what works best for him. Now that he is on an effective treatment path, Arnie says “I know I have to keep taking my meds.”
Upon his release from the state hospital, Arnie was first admitted to Plymouth Avenue group home with 24-hour staff support from the Fellowship. He then increased to a more independent level of care at the Pleasant Street supportive apartment. Arnie now lives in a transitional apartment and is currently working towards renting an apartment on his own in the Fall River community. “It feels great to achieve things,” Arnie admits with a smile.
Two to three times a week, you will find Arnie at Corrigan Mental Health Center where he is employed in a janitorial position. “I enjoy my job cleaning,” he says, “and I want to continue working.” Arnie also demonstrates his sense of responsibility in making sure to always pay his rent on time.
Arnie recently achieved Step V of medication supervision, which allows him to independently order his medications when needed, and makes him responsible for picking them up from the pharmacy. Arnie also takes his medications without staff supervision and shows a great deal of respect towards his peers.
Along with increasing his medication supervision steps over the past year, Arnie has lost 65 pounds. He has set himself a goal to lose a total of 100 pounds by year’s end. He is currently saving money to purchase a bicycle for use during the summer, stating that it “is a good way to exercise.” According to Fall River Network’s Associate Clinician, Shannon Smith, Arnie has achieved ALL of his goals on his treatment plan and continues to contact Shannon with ideas for new goals.
Arnie enjoys reading, watching television, walking, and bike riding. “I walk to and from work twice a week,” he says. “I get exercise that way.” Arnie is proud of what he has accomplished through the help of FHR staff and services, and speaks openly about his road to recovery. It is his hope that others will learn from his experiences and strive to live a healthy, happy life.
Recovery is real ... please consider being a part of our success and support FHR.
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I Found Compassion at Fellowship Health Resources
By: Ed A.
Do you ever wonder what it might be like to live with a mental illness? Or, do you simply take it for granted that you do not?
I first became ill in January of 1967, and since that time have spent many years seeking recovery. Having schizophrenia has made recovery hard to find. My pattern through the years has been to discover a way to become fairly established and embedded in my community, become sick, flee my home, and find myself homeless. These episodes conclude in the hospital, most often after my being found staggering along the side of the road by police. I have suffered a great deal.
What exactly is schizophrenia, you may ask? “Schizophrenia is a serious and challenging medical illness, an illness that affects well over two million American adults, which is about one percent of the population age 18 and older. Although it is often feared and misunderstood, schizophrenia is a treatable medical condition.” (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
When symptomatic, people with the disorder may hear voices other people do not hear. They may believe other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. In my case, I had long conversations with people on television that were very meaningful to me, saw microphones hidden around my apartment, and felt sure with hallucinations leading the way, that I had enemies who were trying to harm me. This was both terrifying and yet, in a strange way, exhilarating, which is one of the reasons it was so hard to get better.
The impact of schizophrenia transcends the individual. It affects family members, caregivers, and society. People with schizophrenia may have difficulty holding a job or with their personal care, thus they must rely on others for help.
For me, things finally started to turn around when I found Fellowship Health Resources’ Ocean State Outreach Program (OSO) in 1975. It was here that I found the one thing that makes a real difference in a search like mine: compassion. At OSO people cared enough about me to see to it that I arrived home safely from my most recent excursions when no one else was able to, not even my loving wife, who simply did not have the resources. Of course, good medication is also critical to the process, but without people who truly care by your side to guide you, you remain lost.
Although my recovery has been slow and I have had many relapses, I owe a great debt of gratitude to people like Kevin Medeiros, Brad Lawrence and Doctor Patricia Wold, for believing in me and knowing that I had the ability to make my recovery real.
Ironically, now that I am living a life of recovery, I am no longer able to seek help from Fellowship Health Resources. Insurance issues require that I seek ongoing care with the Veterans Administration. However, the Fellowship has not let me down and has provided me with employment in a job that I love, as a Communications Representative. This opportunity allows me to interview people for FHR’s website, write grant applications, and plan events.
Today, I am happy and I take my medication religiously. The care and compassion of others over the years has made all the difference, and although there were times when I was unable to show appropriate appreciation, it is my hope going forward to contribute to bettering mental health care for all in some small way. I know that this first starts with having a compassionate heart, just as I found with Fellowship Health Resources.
Recovery is real ... please consider being a part of our success and support FHR.
Editors note: Treatment helps relieve many symptoms of schizophrenia, but most people who have the disorder cope with symptoms throughout their lives. For more information on schizophrenia, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness website.
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Anna and her cat, Squirt
The Strength to Persevere
Anna had her first psychiatric intervention in 1986 at the age of 35. Growing up in Michigan with two brothers and two sisters, Anna married at the age of 23 and raised two beautiful daughters. However, after enduring many years of abuse, she divorced her husband in 1986 and has been involved in all levels of treatment since that time.
While Anna has had her fair share of struggles, she reports that the most difficult challenges have been remaining in the community, living with the aftermath of the abuse inflicted upon her, and learning to manage her finances.
Throughout the years, Anna has had periods when she has remained hospitalized for months at a time. When not hospitalized, she has lived in a group home, spent time in a NAMI house, and has called various boarding houses her home. Just over a year ago, Anna achieved one of her goals and obtained an apartment. Soon after, she found her cat, Squirt, at the local SPCA.
Anna has come to know a great deal about the area resources and continues to put those resources to use on a daily basis. A little over two years ago, she became responsible for her Social Security Income and took a class at First State Community Action, which helped her learn to budget her money successfully. Anna frequents the CHEER Center, her church, and a NAMI support group, each helping to keep her socially active and involved in the community.
Within the next month, Anna will transition from the CCCP, which provides intensive case management services, to the Counseling Center, where services received will be reduced to therapy and medication management. Anna has found FHR Delaware to be a wonderful source of support and encouragement. She continues to maintain close contact with her two daughters, and has even re-established contact with her ex-husband, who has since remarried. She reports that their relationship is now one of respect and forgiveness.
Anna would like to tell others who are newly diagnosed with a mental illness that there are places that can help you. She encourages positive, not negative, thoughts and suggests taking one day at a time. It seems as though Anna has followed her own advice and has made great strides in her own recovery.
Recovery is real ... please consider being a part of our success and
support FHR.
Editor’s note: Fellowship Health Resources’ Delaware Community Continuum of Care Program (CCCP) is a unique model that allows individuals to retain their “clinical home” as they progress through their recovery. As with all FHR’s programs, the system is built around the belief that consumers can recover and become independent.
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FHR PRISMMODEL Enourages David S. Out of His Shell
When Fellowship Health Resources opened Ralph Street in Bangor, Maine, in 1999, David S. was one of the program’s first residents. At the time, mental illness seriously compromised David’s day-to-day life. He was not able to participate in household activities and spent much of his time sleeping. David’s speech patterns were difficult to discern and he maintained little family or community contact. When David did venture out he would often just sit in the vehicle while his housemates joined in activities. The hospital that discharged David did not expect him to remain successfully in the Ralph Street program; however, to date David has not had any hospitalizations.
Today David is quite a different person. He attends Day Program regularly and participates in all of the focus activities. He loves to cook and has recently taken on the chore of making Ralph Street’s snacks twice per week. David goes out weekly with the Case Manager to shop for the meal that he prepares for the rest of his housemates. During that time, David will purchase his own favorites of candy and pizza along with the week’s supply of milk for the house. David’s family is now an important part of his life, visiting him weekly when they are in the area during the summer months.
David’s other favorite pastime is motorcycles. He has started going on outings to the local Harley Davidson store to look at the bikes, and visitors to David’s room will find it loaded with Harley Davidson ‘gear’ and collectibles. From pillowcases to socks, if it boasts the Harley logo, David has probably given it a special spot in his room.
On the first Friday of the month Ralph Street residents go out to eat. Initially, for David, this involved simply going through the drive thru. It was difficult for David to sit in a restaurant, wait to order, wait for the food, and then eat in public. After over two years of staff support and encouragement, David now actually gets excited about going out and talks about it all month long. During last month’s “dine out,” David was walking around the restaurant enjoying the décor and pinball machines.
David is generally a shy person. He is not comfortable with crowds, new places, or having his picture taken. Amazingly, David attended Maine’s launch of the Fellowship’s PRISMMODEL in March of 2006 at a local conference center, and allowed staff to take his picture. The image of David is one full of smiles and excitement. This enthusiasm is what staff members strive for each day from David, and guided by the Fellowship’s PRISMMODEL philosophy, they are rewarded.
Recovery is real ... please consider being a part of our success and support FHR.
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Teach a Man to Fish
By: Liz K.
Hello, I am fifty-five and I finally have a college degree. I went to Cape Cod Community College for seven-plus years and earned an Associate’s Degree in 2002. In May 2008, I graduated from Bridgewater State College with a Bachelor of Science Degree.
Fairwinds Clubhouse has always been there, along every step of the way. Years ago, perhaps in 1997, I had to do a paper for my English Comp 1 class. I was trying to use/learn the word processing capability of the computer to do this. It was the first time I had sat down at a computer. I could not figure out any of it. A woman, a staff member of Fairwinds Clubhouse, decided to help me in my endeavors. I had tried to master a typewriter keyboard since high school. I was fascinated by the delete/backspace function of Microsoft Word and the copy/paste functionality of the standard toolbar, and could not do any of it.
In 1999, the Assistant Director of Fairwinds Clubhouse decided that it was time for me to be on the Internet. He sat me down at a computer and signed me up to a yahoo email address. I still use this address. As usual, I still had not gotten very far with my computer skills. I could not operate the mouse. It seemed to fly all over the place. Then the Director of the Clubhouse told me what to do. He told me to sit myself down at the computer and play a game of Solitaire until I had mastered the mouse. I played one game, and mastered the mouse.
In 2000, my older brother decided to give me his old computer, as he was upgrading. It took only about four months before I had to send the computer to the repair shop. I was able to use a computer at Fairwinds Clubhouse in the interim.
And one day in the Spring of 2002, I had to do a PowerPoint presentation for my last class at Cape Cod Community College, Introduction to Environmental Science. I was clueless. A staff member at Fairwinds decided to show me the basics of PowerPoint, and three slides later, I had the PowerPoint presentation. I received an A in this course.
More recently, I have been using the Fairwinds Clubhouse Typing Skills Teaching Program, as my keyboarding skills are still weak. I am now taking a GIS certification course, once again at Cape Cod Community College. I will use the Environmental Science course in this certification process. GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems of Science. It uses a complex computer software program. It is the wave of the future.
In 2008, laptops are required of all incoming freshmen at Bridgewater State College. We live in the age of the computer. Through their role as teachers, the staff at Fairwinds Clubhouse made both of my college degrees fact. I am so glad to be a member of Fairwinds Clubhouse.
Recovery is real ... please consider being a part of our success and support FHR.
Fairwinds Clubhouse Mission
The mission of Fairwinds Clubhouse is to provide opportunities for friendship, support, employment, and education to people with psychiatric disabilities who live on upper Cape Cod.
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Recovering from Mental Illness Takes Strength and Spirit
By: Marc L.
My journey with mental illness began in late 2001, a couple of months after 9/11. I was going through a very difficult time, as was my family, and those we turned to for help were unavailable to us. This, combined with a biological predisposition, led to my developing a mental illness.
The path to recovery for a person suffering from mental illness can be a long and arduous journey, with many obstacles along the way. I had my share of struggles. I experienced four arrests, twelve hospitalizations, spent one year in a locked facility, and was court-ordered to remain at a group home for two years. I spent six months on a farm in Western Massachusetts designated for people with mental illness, and was on home confinement for six months, not to mention all the manic and psychotic episodes that I went through during that time. I was also struggling to make sense of the loss of my sister, who had recently succumbed to anorexia nervosa. My sister was an accomplished runner, ranked ninth in the nation by Rhode Runner magazine. She graduated Cum Laude from Brown University in 2000, with a degree in psychology. She was intelligent and beautiful (she will always be so). She had her hangups that she could not come to terms with, but she did not deserve to die. I believe that all of our lives are journeys that bring us closer to our God, and although my sister’s death still makes little sense to me, I find comfort in the knowledge that she is now at peace.
I have come to terms with my illness and am at a good place in my recovery. After being discharged from the group home, I worked for a while, and am now a full-time student at Rhode Island College, where I should get my diploma shortly (I need three courses after this semester). I have maintained a 3.25 cumulative grade point average and I hope to go to graduate school to study to be a psychologist. Mental health means a lot to me. I think that because I can relate to those with mental illness, and because I care, I would be a good psychologist. Mental illness has been my cross to bear and my faith has been a great healer. Whatever the situations turn out to be, we must always remember to bear our crosses well, with strength and an unwavering spirit, and we must do so until we reap the rewards of our labor.
Recovery is real ... please consider being a part of our success and
support FHR.
Editor’s Note: Marc L. is a client with Fellowship Health Resources’ Ocean State Outreach Program (OSO). OSO is a Mobile Treatment Team Program, based on the PACT model, offering support for individuals with serious and persistent mental illness in Rhode Island.
I Found Hope at FHR
By: Ellen P.
I came to Fellowship Health Resources one year ago to deal with depression, anxiety, bereavement and trauma after a loss. My family had tried to help, but couldn’t. No one understood me. I felt different from everyone else.
As a child growing up, I was not focused on accomplishments. I wanted to do things that were fun or pleasurable to distract me from my feelings of depression, anxiety and vulnerability.
I have always, to a certain degree, felt aimless in life. Sometimes I feel like a lost child, not knowing what to do and not knowing the ways of the world.
Then, I lost someone who was very dear to me. With her I felt understood and cared for. She was always there for me and accepted me for who I was. I knew happiness when I was with her.
I feel so much better than I did last year. FHR helped me understand and begin recovering from my anxiety and depression through weekly therapy sessions. I have grown as a person and am better able to face new challenges, adversity and I trust myself more. At FHR I feel understood and cared for. I feel like I am getting my life back. I was at the bottom of the barrel, thinking and feeling bad things. I’m finally getting my psychological frame of mind in order. But I need to continue to work on my recovery to regain my mental health.
FHR legitimized my feelings. Everyone at FHR has helped me in my recovery. I have learned so much and come so far. I believe things will continue to get better.
FHR has made a difference in my life.
Recovery is real ... please consider being a part of our success and support FHR.
Editor’s Note: Ellen P. has requested that her name and image not be used. Respectfully, the name of the woman in the story above has been changed.
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