From one parent to another – my advice

Like most parents, I would do anything for my child.

When Justin was younger, he had a lot of strange medical conditions. So many times I would hear the paediatrician say, “I really don’t know what’s going on with him.”

Adolescence is often a time when distressing symptoms of mental illness emerge. Half of all mental illnesses begin by 14 years of age, but unfortunately, most teens go undiagnosed for years.

At the end of his first year of high school, Justin begged me to take him to the ER. He couldn’t explain or describe what was wrong with him to me or to the doctors, but he knew he needed help. Justin was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. But, I was confident he was experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia; a mother’s intuition that turned out to be correct.

Justin didn’t receive the medication he needed and ended up in a catatonic state. Although eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia and hospitalized for three months, he was already deep into the illness and experiencing paranoid delusions; he was incapable of communicating and was despondent. I feared his life was nearing the end and there was nothing I could do to help him.

At home, the TV scared him and he thought the radio was talking to him – our family couldn’t turn on electronics when Justin was there. He was suspicious of everyone… He thought I was a clone. He cried all the time and felt pain everywhere in his body. During the night, his panic attacks were so severe his head would shake on his pillow. It was absolutely heart breaking to watch him suffer.

He finally realized he wasn’t alone.

When Justin was admitted to The Royal, I knew it would be our best hope for his recovery. He attended The Royal’s Schizophrenia Day Treatment Program and was enrolled in a high school run for youth receiving treatment. Justin met teens experiencing similar challenges and others who also had schizophrenia. It took about two years for doctors to find the best combination and dosage of medication. However, the staff at The Royal never gave up.

At just 17 years old, Justin began working hard to raise awareness of mental illness. He would speak to auditoriums filled with students and even appeared on local TV and newspapers. Justin graduated high school and received a scholarship from The Schizophrenia Society to attend Algonquin College.

At the age of 32, Justin returned to The Royal after relapsing. This time, we were confident he would get better again – and he did. Psychosis is often a life-long battle, and recovery consists of being around the people and places that you know and trust, like The Royal. I can’t imagine anywhere else I’d want Justin to be cared for on his path to recovery.

Today, Justin is 35 years old and doing well. He works in construction and has been with his loving girlfriend for eight years. He continues to manage his illness on a regular basis, traveling to The Royal every month for checkups.

There is hope for you and your loved one.

Because of generous people like you, The Royal is able to care for patients during the course of their mental illness – which often lasts a lifetime.

Just recently, Dr. Clifford Cassidy, one of The Royal’s researchers, has been working alongside Columbia University to develop a brain-based biomarker that can help identify and diagnose schizophrenia. Up until now, doctors have relied on a person’s description of their symptoms and their own observations of the patient, in order to make a diagnosis, which can result in a lot of trial and error. This promising new diagnostic tool could eventually help psychiatrists make more precise diagnoses faster – getting patients on the right course of treatment earlier.
You can help fuel leading edge research like Dr. Cassidy’s, today.

For anyone who has a child, a spouse, a friend, or a parent experiencing a mental health challenge – I urge you to seek help for yourself through The Royal’s Regional Family Support Program. 

Many people are still waiting to be seen by a doctor… still waiting for a diagnosis to free them of their terrifying symptoms… waiting and hoping to one day have their life back again, just like my son, 20 years ago.
You can help ensure patients and families have access to the best possible care, today.

In the future, I want you to have the opportunity to read another story just like this one, from another mother like me, telling their child’s experience of recovery – because of your caring gift.

Together, as a community, we can help get people better faster.

Sincerely,

Cynthia Clark
Justin’s mom