“Hi my name is Mark, a resident originally from Glen Garth House and now at Tenby House which is run by Northern Healthcare, and this is my schizophrenia recovery story.
I was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 23, I found the illness (to be) nothing but suicidal thoughts, (I was) in and out of hospitals and hearing voices to a degree that (they) were so horrifying, disruptive and so hard to bear. I couldn’t function properly.
At an early age I turned to alcohol. Over the years of drinking, I’ve lost so many places of help and care and also lost my homes because the alcohol was doing me more harm than good – it would bring up my past and turn my mind to a psychotic state of real heavy schizophrenia.
Then I lost my mum through cancer and found that I would try to stop drinking because it was the one thing that my mum wanted me to do.
Finally, one day I thought ‘this is it, I will quit the drink’. I found giving up the drink is one of the hardest things to do, as I’ve tried before. It was time for me to listen and turn to the home I live in for help, they deal with mental health issues and other related problems. I put my trust there with staff who are incredible at their job and managers that are to me so cool. Time has gone by and boom here I am now, 2021 and I have had not one drop of alcohol for three to three and a half years.
Still in my home of care and support, my mind is a little more dampened from voices and on a sense of calm. I have no anger issues and no return to alcohol. Northern Healthcare, I cannot thank you enough. I couldn’t have done this without you.
Big thanks, Mark.”
Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.
Find out more about Northern Healthcare supported living.
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