Mental health group has right prescription
February 8, 2010
Emily Mathieu
STAFF REPORTER
Note: This article was edited from a previous version.
The young man fidgets, running his hands along the top of his legs and shifting his long frame to find a comfortable position in his plastic chair.
He begins to share the details of how, three years ago, he went through a first episode of psychosis, or break with reality, and was admitted to a Toronto facility for psychiatric care.
"To me, my behaviour was quite normal, I was partying quite hard. Unfortunately, I became unable to properly process information I was seeing and hearing," he said.
Now 24, he has decided to talk about how the experience affected him and his family and the support team who helped him recover. But he is nervous about how he will be portrayed.
"I have a mental issue that is intangible. ... I don't feel different," he said.
"Youth or adults with mental health issues haven't changed just because they have been diagnosed," he said. "They have to change their lifestyle, because there are medications they have to take, but that is pretty much it."
He has also managed to find humour in the situation.
When asked about his diagnoses and if he takes medication – he has bipolar affective disorder and recently started taking medication – he predicts how a boiled-down version of his story will look on paper.
The patient "arrives in hospital in horrible mental state. Now after undergoing X,Y,Z, plus medication, enjoys hobbies," he said with a smile.
The meeting takes place at the offices of the Mood and Psychosis Early Intervention Program – called the MOD Team – part of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Toronto branch, at 700 Lawrence Ave. W.
The centre, which has been open for four years, currently has about 110 clients and has served more than 200 people.
The team's mandate is to reach out to young people between the ages of 16 to 34 in the first phases of psychosis, providing support and referrals to the entire family.
"People who don't receive early intervention, the more (time without help) they have, the more difficult it is for them to reach an optimal level of recovery," said program manager Kelly Robinson. "Every time it can affect the brain."
Psychosis affects about 3 per cent of the population and can be related to drug use or head injuries, or related to mental health issues like bi-polar disorder, depression or schizophrenia.
Robinson said people tend to begin to recover in the first three to six months.
"We say it is like a broken leg; you need to give yourself time to heal," Robinson said.
Referrals to the team typically come from family doctors. Treatment is covered by OHIP and the length and frequency varies depends on the clients and their families' needs.
When the young man started having issues processing what information he was hearing, he was admitted to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. His mother, who was also at the interview, described the situation as overwhelming.
"At the time, we were confused. We didn't know why it happened. ... How are we going to go forward when he leaves the hospital?"
She suffered anxiety and was on medication for depression.
"I knew I needed some help, I didn't know what kind of help I needed," she said.
The MOD team taught her how to cope and worked with her and her son, husband and daughter.
A family meeting with a MOD team member was the first big step in helping them heal, she said.
"Each one of us opened up for the first time and acknowledged what happened and how we can go forward from there on."
Her son has recently started taking medication.
He plans to seek out more people who have been through the mental health system and join or create an association to share their experiences.
He also writes for and edits the MOD Team newsletter.
Toronto Star