Student targets stigma of mental illness
When Leonard Reynen was diagnosed with schizophrenia, at age 18, he thought his life was over.
The Algonquin College public relations student had seen what the mental illness had meant for the lives of his two uncles. One died by suicide, another is in care at the Royal Ottawa.
“I thought I was going to have to reside in a mental health facility or end up dead or homeless.”
But despite some struggles, that has not been his storyline. And that is one reason the 27-year-old is speaking out about living with schizophrenia: to help dispel the many myths and help others to know they are not alone.
The Schizophrenia Society of Canada says one in 100 Canadians — or one per cent of the population — is affected by schizophrenia. And while there is no single course of treatment, a combination of drug, talk and other therapies can help people with the disease to lead healthy and rewarding lives.
Despite all the attention focused on ending mental health stigma, there is still work to be done when it comes to schizophrenia, which remains widely stigmatized and misunderstood. Today is Schizophrenia Awareness Day, which aims to change that.
Reynen, who is finishing his public relations program and set to begin working with the Canadian Mental Health Association as an intern, said it took some time for him to find the right treatment. But with that and the support of his family, he has learned to cope with his symptoms.
“Thankfully, I have a really supportive family and the doctors have been amazing.”
Reynen went through difficult periods starting in his teen years before he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. After a childhood during which he was a star athlete and gifted student, he developed depression and suicidal ideation. To deal with it, he turned to drugs and alcohol, “which only made matters worse,” he said in a recent speech at the Mental Health Gala in Ottawa.
Reynen said he still carries scars from self-harm. He attempted suicide and, for a time, felt like he was living in The Truman Show — a movie about a television show that revolves around the main character’s life — due to paranoid delusions. Reynen said he knows there are many people who, like him, struggle with mental illness, which is why he is being public about his struggles.
“Not everyone with an illness is in a position where they have the capability to speak about it,” he said.
Last year, Reynen’s convinced his fellow public relations students to support the schizophrenia program at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre as part of a classroom campaign.
“For a long time, I have hidden myself, worried about what could happen and how people will see me,” Reynen said. “By taking a stand, I am not just standing up for myself, but for every other person dealing with schizophrenia.”
Generally appearing in young people between the ages of 15 and 30, schizophrenia is a devastating mental illness. When untreated, it interferes with a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions, and relate to others. Psychosis, involving hallucinations and delusions, is a common symptom of schizophrenia, but individuals with it are no more dangerous than the general population.