Amanda Schell couldn’t make sense of her diagnosis.
She wasn’t violent. She’d never gone an a rampage, been totally out of control or chased down by police. Schell was, by her own account, a normal 23-year-old.
“I was diagnosed with schizophrenia,” Schell said.
And that was it. She was handed a title and that’s where it ended. There was no explanation, no education and no advice on how to deal with the ghosts and spiders that visited her bedside.
It wasn’t until the Florida native moved to Squamish two years later that she started to make sense of it all. With the help of a support worker, Schell learned about the illness. She was able to manage the voices in her head and understand how schizophrenia had impacted her life.
It was a long road to recovery, one that went from fearing demons and running away from home at the age of 16 to earning her high school diploma and taking a peer support worker’s course in Vancouver.
Today, Schell co-ordinates Vancouver Coastal Health’s peer support worker program for the Sea to Sky Corridor. She also works as an outreach and consumer initiatives support worker for Squamish Mental Health and Addiction Services. Three years ago, Schell was honoured with the Courage to Come Back Award by Coast Mental Health. Awareness of mental illness is the reason behind Mental Health Awareness Week, May 5 to 9.
A lot of people are fearful that a diagnosis will banish them to hospitalization or a life filled with heavy medication, Schell said. But recovery is an option.
“Not very long ago it was thought that people couldn’t [recover],” Schell said.
People need to understand the illness to help others overcome it, she said, noting it is particularly important for employers to comprehend challenges staff dealing with mental illness may face.
Housing is another big issue. Those on disability receive $900 a month. With $700 or more going toward housing, that leaves $200 for food and living, Schell noted. The stress of keeping a roof over one’s head presents a stumbling block to recovery.
“There is not enough affordable housing in Squamish,” Schell said.
Families of people with mental illnesses are often left in the dark, said Nancy Ford, executive director of the North Shore Schizophrenia Society. Since 1999, the society has offered a Family-to-Family Education Program. The 12-session program is free and is designed for friends and family members to learn about the impacts of mental illness on one’s life, medication and resources. The society offers the course once a year in Squamish. The next course begins in February 2015. The society also offers a monthly support group in Squamish, Ford noted.
Schell hopes these support groups and education throughout the community will bring about growing awareness. She wants to provide people dealing with mental illness a message of hope.
“I learned that I am a lot stronger than I thought I was,” Schell said.
For info visit www.northshoreschizophrenia.org.
Mental Health Week events set
Mental Health Awareness Week is May 5 to 9, and to mark the occasion, local health services agencies have scheduled three upcoming events to promote understanding of and treatment for mental health problems.
A one-hour Workplace Mental Health Education session is planned next Tuesday (May 6) at noon at Training Innovations, No. 302, 37989 Cleveland Avenue. The workshop, facilitated by Christine Buttkus, Amanda Shipeley and Ross Tayler, will include strategies for maximizing mental wellness in work environments, education about the resources available in the community and stories about successful outcomes. Space is limited to 20. Pre-registration is available at Training Innovations or by calling (604) 815-4550.
On Thursday (May 8), the Canadian Mental Health Association and Vancouver Coastal Health have organized a Community Celebration Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Stan Clarke Park. The event will include door prizes and a free barbecue lunch.
On Thursday, May 15, human resource managers and employers are invited to a workshop entitled Healthy Workplaces in Sea to Sky from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Training Innovations. Participants will learn how to differentiate between mental illness and basic performance issues, discuss mental illness with workers and access professional health for employees. The guest panel will include Dr. Kathryn Wynn of Vancouver Coastal Health mental health and addictions services and Nancy Ford, executive director of the North Shore Schizophrenia Society. Again, space is limited. To register, phone (604) 815-4550 or email [email protected].
