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Youth Personal Stories
Peer Blog
On this page members of LEAAD get a chance to tell their own personal stories about their lives
 

  

 

Joana 同情

I started out in DMH as an 18-year-old young adult. My first experience was in a hospital, somewhere I had rarely ever gone to even see a doctor. So to be in a psych ward was scary for me. It was the beginning of the most life-altering experience I would ever have. January of 2003, only 6 days after my 18th birthday I was chased out of my house and down the street by my parents. I had turned over the dining room table because no one was listening to me when I had been expelled from school for bringing in a weapon to protect myself. It was around 9 in the morning, and I had I hidden at my neighbor’s. I was promptly found and packed into my dad’s car and brought to the first of 2 hospitals. All the while, feeling betrayed and extremely depressed. That afternoon, I met the first set of friends that I still have today. While in the 2nd hospital, a place where I was supposed to be kept safe, I was harassed and sexually abused, which was what had caused my depression in the first place. But by going along with my treatment team, and starting another set of medication, I got out in a 4th of the time than was expected. But not to home, where I was promised.

         

       From there I went to my first program. This place was nuts. It was like a cult. Everything was scheduled and pristine. We did everything together: eat, sleep, groups, cook, clean. The only things it was missing were uniforms and goose-stepping. I found support in my clinicians, who were raw and to the point. Although I did relapse and end up back in the same hospital for a week, I gave the program another try when I was released. After 3 months, I was promised yet again I could go home.  Instead I was sent to the other side of the state to a Residential. God, it sucked at first. Wow. I have never seen such a perky group of staff, ever. Once again we did everything as a house. But, this time, it was kind of fun. We had parties, went out to movies and malls and got our nails done. I even got the chance to finish my high school education and received my diploma. I had job training and this time, I was allowed to see my family almost every week. One of my best friends was there with me so that made things easier. We were even allowed to date people in the program. Sadly though after a year I moved into the last program I would ever live in. 

 

      If I could say one thing about this program I would say it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. The staff is great. They respected me, helped me find jobs, and supported me. Some of them are more like friends or siblings than staff. I began a day program that paid me to do work and helped me get a job. And most of all, I met my future husband. Not all of it was fun and games, though. I learned that in order to get what you need, you have to work for it. You need to be open to try new methods and work with a team and not by yourself. It’s much easier to be meeting the requirements to get results than to fight the system. And it can take a long time. Yes, its hard, but the results are amazing. I’m living on my own now and it was all worth it. And I’m pretty sure of that

- 真理子


 

My Life
by Kyle Sirois

My name is Kyle Sirois and this is my story. I grew up in Hawaii and South Dakota. At first I had no signs of any mental illness, but as I grew older I realized that I had one. My mental illness is schizophrenia.


One of the symptoms is hallucinations, for example I thought I was hearing voices. The first time I experienced these hallucinations I was eighteen years old. Another one of my symptoms was paranoia. I imagined that people were out to get me. This made it impossible for me to stay at home. Ever since I started taking meds I no longer hear voices. I was also paranoid, thinking people were after me, but the medicine did wonders.


As I grew older I started going to hospitals to get help. I went to five different hospitals and tried many different medicines. At last the hospitals found the right medicines. Ever since I started taking meds I no longer hear voices, and I’m no longer paranoid that people are out to get me. The medicine did wonders for my illness.
During this time I was introduce to DMH. They helped me find a place to live, got me into a school, and helped me get my life on the right path. Since then I’ve been getting A’s and B’s in school and now I’m looking forward to graduating from high school next year.


After the hassle of medications and hospitals, DMH introduced me to 12 Prescott St., which is a group home. When I first moved in I was still paranoid that people were after me, but then I adapted and realized that it was just my illness. I started to get SSI, which helped me learn to manage my money, and I started to learn how to live independently. Now I have been at 12 Prescott St. for a year and a half, and I’ve learned to like it.


I think DMH turned my life around, and has helped me to figure out how to live on my own. I think that if I can do it, anyone can do it.

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Woodward
Biography

My name is Michael Woodward and I was born on February 15, 1986 in Framingham, Massachusetts. I grew up with just my mom and grandpa for the first few years of my life. Around when I was 5 years old, my mom married to Evans Woodward whom also introduced me to video games. I mention this because, not only did I finally have a father in my life, but also had what would become my favorite hobby and pasttime.

Growing up in school I received decent grades and excelled in English especially. Math was always my most difficult subject. I would get into a lot of trouble at school even as I moved up in grades. So much that I would get psychological tests done on me. Problems would get worse and worse over the years, putting me in and out of hospitals. Eventually, I ended up in residential programs.

Around this time in my life, I was diagnosed with Bi-polar depression. I was even more depressed being in programs where I felt confined. One program I went to I ended up making some great friends, a couple who I still have contact with. Even when I had hard times of depression, I always still had my friends that made me feel better.

My last program I was in was Prescott. This is where I had some major turning points in my life. For a year, I had pretty much the last of my major incidents. I also made some of the greatest friends I could ever have. One of the best things that happened to me was that I fell in love. I finally experienced real love and am still feeling it today. For 2 ½ years my girlfriend and I have been together and are engaged so we will always be together. Other great stuff followed as I finally gained good control over my emotions and thus was rewarded with my first apartment. After many years of emotional pain and turmoil I finally have some happiness in my life. I still have some things to work on, but at least the future for me seems a little brighter.