We talk about regaining physical health, but is it possible to regain mental health too? “Regaining health” and “recovering from sickness” are phrases often used in the circumstances related to physical ailments such as the common cold, the flu, and even normalizing blood sugar in people with diabetes. We may hear or say such phrases as “get well soon,” “wishing you a speedy recovery,” or “you’ll be feeling healthy and strong again soon.” These expressions are often used to give hope and encourage the sick. The question is, my dear friends, is mental illness amongst the vocabulary related to those phrases? If so, we are on the right path. If not, we have work to do! Consider the following question again… “is it possible for people to regain mental health?”
I want to share someone’s experience or, as I would call it… “someone’s recovery from sickness.” We will refer to him as Client Success. He is a 65-year-old Hispanic male diagnosed with schizophrenia and unspecified personality disorder. For many years, Client Success has presented baseline symptoms of psychosis, delusions, hallucinations, and constant paranoia and has recently seen a turnaround that most would say is a true “success story.” His symptoms would constantly interfere with his quality of life, not allowing him to hold employment or maintain successful family and social relationships. Client Success would always confront business owners, family members, mental health specialists, or anyone around him. His frequent arguments with his family led to him being evicted from his home and his family evading him. He would go missing for days and be found in his family’s home, where he had been banned and had to be arrested for trespassing.
Client Success had the financial means to provide for himself, but he would spend his money impulsively and recklessly. He would not allow mental health providers to assist him with his basic needs. Client Success would often defecate or urinate on the side of the road. This behavior ended up leading to his last arrest and hospitalization. As you can imagine, the struggle this man went through in his deteriorated mental state far surpassed what he could probably have understood or even explained at the height of his mental illness.
For the past year, Client Success has been living independently in an apartment and maintaining his grooming and hygiene. He has been adhering to all appointments and medications and has successfully managed his money. Client Success has even mended his relationships with his family members, who are now part of his life. Even though he continues to have a debilitating diagnosis, his hallucinations are completely gone with the help of the medications. He can now cope with psychosis and paranoia as he continues to receive intensive services. He is currently receiving follow-up care to address a chief complaint that nags him, although he is doing much better compared to his state of mind before.
This improvement was facilitated by the long-term support he received through the Tropical Texas Behavioral Health (TTBH) system, involving many different points of care. He receives detailed follow-up visits with his psychiatrist and is followed by a fantastic team of individuals through a program where clients are visited at their homes. These individuals coordinated care in such a way that allowed this client to have housing and, through medical treatment, to be in a better mental state. At the time of this article being written, the team is actively working on helping Client Success get services through another department of the TTBH system, called the Drop-In Center, which provides social support, teaches kitchen/cooking skills, allows clients to do their laundry if needed, counsels on money management, etc. This department will eventually be teaching gardening skills and opening a computer room where clients can make calls and use the computers to find jobs.
TTBH’s mission is to provide care with “respect, dignity, cultural sensitivity, and a focus on recovery (TTBH, 2017, p. 6).” The individuals at this organization, the care of clients such as Client Success, are true advocates of regaining mental health. As stated in TTBH’s core values, “TTBH is committed to furthering the interests of those served and to help them lead meaningful lives as community members. This includes helping them to achieve their right to belong, to be valued, to participate, and to make meaningful contributions (TTBH, 2017, p. 7).” There are many organizations out there that have similar missions and values, and they are all doing great things. However, to Client Success and many others like himself, this was the place that gave him his life back! So, I ask again, “is it possible for people to regain mental health?” The answer? You decide!
Reference:
TTBH. (2017). Tropical Texas Behavioral Health Strategic Plan. TTBH Strategic Plan. Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://www.ttbh.org/images/FY_2017_Strategic_Plan.Complete.pdf
