Friday, April 05, 2013
Community Mental Health Services Help Clients Get Their Lives Back On Track
For someone who suffers from mental illness, the road to recovery can be long, challenging, unique and extremely personal. Just ask Renfrew County resident Murray Hunter who suffers from depression and anxiety. It’s taken him nearly four years to reach a point in his life where he feels things are finally getting back on track.
His outlook wasn’t always so bright.
Back in 2009, stress, job loss, and unaddressed grief following the death of a number of important people in his life including his son, resulted in what he calls a “complete mental breakdown”.
“I was isolating myself. I didn’t want to be near anyone or do anything. I just wanted to sleep. I had very low self-esteem and was hospitalized in the Acute Mental Health Unit of Pembroke Regional Hospital for three weeks,” Murray said, adding that he had not only lost the will to live, but the motivation to do the things he enjoyed like hiking, walking, biking, working on cars and woodworking.
“It was hard on everyone around me – friends, family and my wife especially, none of them understood what I was going through and I was my own worst enemy! I was feeling suicidal and couldn’t even handle day-to-day chores. My life was literally falling apart,” he said.
Thankfully, however, his hospital stay not only represented one of the darkest times in his life, but also one of the most pivotal as he was told by his physician and his psychiatrist that he was “a very sick person”, and that’s what it took to kick-start the healing process.
“At that point I decided to take charge and was more determined than ever to get my life back,” Murray said, and he was assigned a caseworker through Community Mental Health Services of Renfrew County which is a regional program run by Pembroke Regional Hospital.
The primary role of the caseworker is to coordinate services and to provide support, education and advocacy to clients in Renfrew County who are 16 years of age or older and have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness.
“My caseworker not only provided me with the support I needed, but she was also instrumental in setting the wheels in motion and guiding me along a path to recovery,” Murray said.
Very much a multi-pronged, team approach to recovery, Murray worked with a psychiatrist who provided suggestions for coping mechanisms other than prescription drugs, and welcomed the assistance of a social worker who provides professional counselling in a confidential, supportive and therapeutic way, and helped him deal with a number of underlying issues which were contributing to his illness.
It was also suggested he attend a group-based support program called “Inside Out” which is a non-judgmental and supportive peer group for people in Renfrew County who have a primary diagnosis of depression or bi-polar disorder.
“The ‘Inside Out’ group has helped me in many ways, through new people and helping me to realize that I am not alone and that others have similar problems. In the group we discuss how we are feeling and we are able to get feedback and suggestions from others,” Murray said, adding that there is also an education component which consists of prepared talks or guest speakers on topics such as depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, death and self-esteem.
“I continue to go to this group as it helps me realize I am not alone with this disease.”
Looking back on the path his life has taken this past four years, Murray credits those involved with Community Mental Health Services with helping him get to the point in his recovery where he is today.
He is also thankful to his wife who sought out programs and resources through the Whitewater Bromley Community Health Centre and his pug dog Sasha, both have loved him unconditionally throughout his journey.
“At this time, I feel that I am slowly getting back to ‘my life’, taking one day at a time and using the tools that I have been given. I feel that the future will be brighter even though the road to recovery will still have its ups and downs. I realize that I will never be the same as I was, but each day I work towards a new and better me,” Murray said.
Case Manager Heather Vitkuske who has worked with Murray, notes that every client’s journey to recovery is their own, and involves creation of a unique and personal care plan.
“There are many different avenues that clients can utilize to assist in their recovery such as counselling, case management, medication, support from family and friends, and leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The journey is not easy, and sometimes challenges present themselves. But with proper support and perseverance, a person with a mental health disorder is able to lead a good and meaningful life.”
Community Mental Health Services of Renfrew County is a regional program run by Pembroke Regional Hospital and operated out of seven locations throughout Renfrew County including Arnprior, Renfrew (two sites), Barry’s Bay and Pembroke (three sites).
More than 3,000 clients are served each year in the areas of Acute Mental Health, Community Mental Health, Sexual Assault and Violence Against Women Counselling Services, and Geriatric Mental Health.
For more information about the services available, please call 1-800-991-7711.
Carolyn Levesque is the Public Affairs and Communications Coordinator for the
Pembroke Regional Hospital.
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