Nov 2007
Sylvia's Story...
26/11/07 21:32 Filed in: Consumers
I think I was really born the day I turned fifty. That was last year and my husband surprised me with an intimate and delightful party with some of my closest friends and family. I had never felt younger or stronger. When others bemoan the fact that life is passing them by, I can’t be sympathetic. Life for me is finally gentle and good. I don’t mean easy, but good. Don’t ask me if I’m happy. Ask me if I have finally reached a sense of joy. Happiness is fleeting; joy includes acceptance, courage and determination in the face of life’s adversities. It is joy I want to know and I dare say that after so many years of struggle, I may have finally caught a glimpse of it.
I was always the first to think there was something “wrong” with me. But I was terrified to find out if that was the case. Until I was finally diagnosed with Bipolar disorder at the age of 31, so much water had flowed under the bridge. It is a similar story to many affected by mental illness. It was a journey which included thousands of hours of therapy, fear, confusion, struggle and finding the “right” doctor, the “right” recipe to help you over the hurdle. I find consolation and courage in celebrating life, one day at a time. In sharing our stories, we plant one more set of footprints towards changing the course of understanding of mental illness.
Sylvia Smith
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November 12 Speaker Evening at Ami-Quebec a success...
19/11/07 21:34 Filed in: Consumers
On Nov. 12, 2007 I was asked to be a Guest Speaker for AMI-Quebec at the Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry of the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal along with Mike, John Stall, Elva Crawford, and Francine Waters.
The room was filled with people who were eager to learn more of Mike's Story. I spoke of the early years of Mike's illness up until Mike accepted the illness and treatment. It is hard to describe the affects on the family in a 5 minute presentation. I tried to illustrate that the illness can have devastating affects on every member of the family. In spite of this reality it is essential that the family remain supportive and always remain positive. NEVER GIVE UP. The family must believe that recovery will come with perseverance, continuously learning about the illness, prevention and lots of patience.
This was my first experience as a speaker and I truly enjoyed it. I saw a few faces light up as they really identified with what was being said. I truly hope we inspired some audience members to NEVER GIVE UP.
Personally, I got to hear how Elva Crawford, John Stall and Francine Waters, saw and interacted with Mike over the years. Once again I was proud to be Mike's sister and I am always amazed at how inspirational Mike is to everyone.
I would like to thank AMI-Quebec for inviting me to speak. I would do it again in a flash. Along with pain and torment in that room, I also felt lots of love, support and most important HOPE; THE HOPE OF RECOVERY.
Thank you to AMI-Quebec for your great work and service to the community.
Carmy Santoro
A word about To Do Lists...
12/11/07 21:38 Filed in: Consumers
I have lots of "To Do Lists". A To Do List for the repairs needed on the house, To Do List for January, February, March, April, May, etc, etc, To Do List of people to see to have coffee with, To Do List to get house ready for winter, To Do List to get house ready for summer, To Do List for things I need to get done at work, To Do List for things I need to speak to my wife about, To Do List for things I would like to do with my daughter, and the To Do Lists go on and on. This is great because it frees up my mind since everything is written down and I do not have to continually think about all the things I need to get done. The problem is that these To Do Lists can grow to be out of control (in size) and become unrealistic. I sometimes find myself spending lots of time "managing" these "To Do Lists" and getting stressed out because they go on and on and there seems to be no end in sight and not enough time to do everything.
What I find helpful for myself is that every so often, I go through my "To Do Lists" and delete things that are not so important (as they may have seemed to be when I first wrote them down). This allows me to do a clean-up of my lists, prioritize and shorten them making them more manageable and reducing the stress I feel for having so much to do.
Mike