Leon and Michelle: Two Real Stories of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse
Leon
"Leon" thinks his drinking first got out of control in 1978 - the year his first wife left for good with their four children. Over the next 25 years, his life was littered with brushes with the law, hospitalizations, incarcerations, and another failed marriage.
Leon, who suffers from bipolar disorder, says his illness could cause him to spend $1,000 an hour in a manic fit to being so depressed he couldn't leave his home for weeks. Alcohol helped him feel better for a while, but he didn't like who he had become.
After several tries at becoming sober on his own, Leon was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. The people who worked with him made two things very clear. "I had to stop drinking, and I had to take medication for my bipolar disorder," Leon said.
After being sober for four months, he made amends with his former wife and their daughter. Leon's mood swings have stabilized, he recently celebrated his third anniversary of continuous sobriety and he has gone back to school to become a licensed drug counselor.
Michelle
After overcoming a journey of painful addiction, "Michelle" brought her child to the mountains in search of hope. There she found knowledge, hope, and compassion.
Michelle, mother of five, ranging in age from eight to 23, came to a local mental health center two years ago with her son "Bruce." Her youngest, a first-grader, was having behavioral problems in school, making it necessary for her to take over sixty days off work to help deal with her son's challenges. This led to problems with her job. Disciplinary methods and short-term answers did not help in managing her son's behavior.
Michelle brought together twenty concerned friends from school, daycare, and people whom she knew cared about her son in an effort to generate ideas of how to help Bruce. A number of options were discussed. Bruce was lucky to have so many believers who could see his potential. As by chance, someone in the group knew about a local mental health center and that is how Bruce's story of renewal began and continues.
Michelle accompanied her son Bruce to the local mental health center in September of 2004. In her words, the organization and the people at who volunteered there were a "blessing." When asked to elaborate, she is eager to tell of their patience and insight in helping to deal with Bruce. As she feared losing her son to a series of transfers to other organizations, the local mental health center gave constancy and stability that helped bring the entire family closer.
His progress in managing his behavior and feelings pleased Michelle tremendously. As the behaviors and emotions started to calm, a new boy began to emerge, and so his potential became clearer.
For the first time ever, Bruce will be realizing one of his dreams: to play on a baseball team. As her child's and her family's lives are becoming more grounded, Michelle was also able to reflect on her own personal growth. She has decided that she would like to become a Drug and Alcohol Counselor. Her other son Tony, age 10, is also being helped by a local mental health organization program and is excelling as well. He is currently taking karate, competing, and bringing home trophies. Clearly, this family has been to the mountains and crossed over to the other side.
"Leon" thinks his drinking first got out of control in 1978 - the year his first wife left for good with their four children. Over the next 25 years, his life was littered with brushes with the law, hospitalizations, incarcerations, and another failed marriage.
Leon, who suffers from bipolar disorder, says his illness could cause him to spend $1,000 an hour in a manic fit to being so depressed he couldn't leave his home for weeks. Alcohol helped him feel better for a while, but he didn't like who he had become.
After several tries at becoming sober on his own, Leon was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. The people who worked with him made two things very clear. "I had to stop drinking, and I had to take medication for my bipolar disorder," Leon said.
After being sober for four months, he made amends with his former wife and their daughter. Leon's mood swings have stabilized, he recently celebrated his third anniversary of continuous sobriety and he has gone back to school to become a licensed drug counselor.
Michelle
After overcoming a journey of painful addiction, "Michelle" brought her child to the mountains in search of hope. There she found knowledge, hope, and compassion.
Michelle, mother of five, ranging in age from eight to 23, came to a local mental health center two years ago with her son "Bruce." Her youngest, a first-grader, was having behavioral problems in school, making it necessary for her to take over sixty days off work to help deal with her son's challenges. This led to problems with her job. Disciplinary methods and short-term answers did not help in managing her son's behavior.
Michelle brought together twenty concerned friends from school, daycare, and people whom she knew cared about her son in an effort to generate ideas of how to help Bruce. A number of options were discussed. Bruce was lucky to have so many believers who could see his potential. As by chance, someone in the group knew about a local mental health center and that is how Bruce's story of renewal began and continues.
Michelle accompanied her son Bruce to the local mental health center in September of 2004. In her words, the organization and the people at who volunteered there were a "blessing." When asked to elaborate, she is eager to tell of their patience and insight in helping to deal with Bruce. As she feared losing her son to a series of transfers to other organizations, the local mental health center gave constancy and stability that helped bring the entire family closer.
His progress in managing his behavior and feelings pleased Michelle tremendously. As the behaviors and emotions started to calm, a new boy began to emerge, and so his potential became clearer.
For the first time ever, Bruce will be realizing one of his dreams: to play on a baseball team. As her child's and her family's lives are becoming more grounded, Michelle was also able to reflect on her own personal growth. She has decided that she would like to become a Drug and Alcohol Counselor. Her other son Tony, age 10, is also being helped by a local mental health organization program and is excelling as well. He is currently taking karate, competing, and bringing home trophies. Clearly, this family has been to the mountains and crossed over to the other side.
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