Young and Bipolar: From Illness to Independence
>> SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SPRINGBOARDS RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES TO SUCCESS
“I received an incredible amount of support. Everything from setting goals ,to creating and writing in a journal every night to track mym ood.” TRACY, COAST TENANT
Tracy was 19 when she first began to wonder if she might have a mental illness. She had recently moved across the country to live with her mother while attending SFU. She believes the stress of the move, school and her daily commute triggered a psychotic break from reality. She began imagining people could read her mind and that she must only have positive thoughts. She then began to think she was a saint and a princess. She had read a bit about bipolar disorder and realized she had many of its symptoms. She was officially diagnosed later that year.
“I was the only person I knew with a mental illness,” recalled Tracy. “I thought I would never get better, that what I had was really rare and basically a death sentence. The first year following my diagnosis is a blur of medication changes, hospitalizations, and electroconvulsive therapy. There was a constant overwhelming feeling of despair.”
Tracy was desperate for a more independent living arrangement but recognized she would not be able to flourish without support. Through her mental health team, she was able to make the move to Watson House, Coast’s community home for youth, in 2009.
“I was among people with similar experiences and we were able to socialize and have fun,” said Tracy. The staff worked closely with Tracy. “I received an incredible amount of support,” she said. “Everything from setting goals, to creating and writing in a journal every night to track my mood, to simply ensuring I took my medication each night.”
Residents have their own rooms at Watson House but share other facilities like the kitchen, living and dining rooms, and bathrooms. Tracy and her roommates took turns shopping, cleaning and cooking – learning life skills and creating a sense of community. Her key worker helper her to develop and use the techniques and strategies she was learning at cognitive behavioural therapy groups.
After two years, Tracy was ready to live more independently. She transferred to the Early Psychosis Intervention Watson House semi-independent living program and moved into an apartment partially financed by a rent supplement provided by Coast. She still sees her key worker once a week to talk about how things are going and once a month the worker does a house check to make sure Tracy is coping well.
Tracy recently completed all the prerequisites she needs to apply for UBC’s Bachelor of Social Work program. She also works 20 hours a week as a peer support worker, helping other people with mental illnesses cope with their experiences. It’s been a long journey but she’s moving in the right direction.