By Melina Harris

THIS week’s column is about celebrating the triumphs and successes of those who have suffered from, and, overcome mental illness. Over the years, I have been fortunate to meet incredible individuals who have ascended from the pits of emotional, psychological and spiritual hell through their desire and commitment to reclaim their lives and address their mental illness.

The psychology of change is interesting because like most things in life, it is all about cycles. Most psychologists agree that there are between four to six ‘Stages of Change’. Briefly, ‘precontemplation’ is the first stage, this occurs when the individual is unaware that there is a problem. The second stage is ‘contemplation’, where the individual is aware that a problem exists but there is no commitment to take action.

The third stage is ‘preparation’, where the individual intends to take action to address the problem. The fourth stage is ‘action’, where the individual actively makes an effort to modify their behaviour. The fifth stage is ‘maintenance’ and is all about sustained change where the new behaviour replaces the old. The six stage is ‘relapse’ where it is possible for the individual to fall back into old patterns and behaviours.

According to my friend who suffered from post-partum depression, psychotic episodes and a number of other mental illnesses following the birth of her first child, the stages of change are very much real. My friend lives in the United States of America and is now a middle-aged woman who is incredibly successful, happy and has completely overcome her mental illnesses. Her early life was traumatic and she was the victim of abuse in numerous forms, this coupled with the fact that she had been adopted as a child led to a very tumultuous early life and she constantly ran away from home and ended up in all sorts of insane situations with drugs, men and the law.

My friend left home before she turned 16 years old and ended up stripping in clubs to make money. She didn’t retire until she had her first child in her mid-twenties. She explained to me that according to her psychiatrist, the life she chose to live was a direct result of the trauma that she endured as a child and her career choice was a direct result of that trauma also. In fact, according to her, most sex workers have experienced some form of sexual abuse which is what leads them to take up those career options. It’s the cycle of abuse where those who have suffered abuse continue being victims of it or become perpetrators of it.

Following the birth of my friend’s first child, she experienced extreme post-partum depression and suffered from psychotic episodes. According to her, she would get into these moods where she would do all sorts of weird and out of character things.

She would also become aggressive, violent and really struggled to maintain a level mind. She also struggled with sleep. Thankfully and with the assistance of her husband, she knew that something was wrong and sought help. She was diagnosed with a number of co-occurring mental illnesses and was prescribed medication to help with the psychotic episodes, which were constant. Eventually, and with the help of the medication, the psychotic episodes stopped and she was able to regain a sense of normalcy. The turning point for her however, was the counselling that was prescribed as part of her treatment.

Through psychotherapy, my friend was able to confront all of the issues she had avoided since childhood. Her incredibly difficult childhood was responsible for the decisions she made and the shaping of her life but she was determined to confront her demons.

She now laughs at how far she has come and knows that without the medication, which she was able to stop, and therapy, she would never have been able to reclaim control of her life. She now shares her story with pride and feels no shame in anything that she has done or has been through because she knows that the burden of shame will also be a hindrance to those who wish to overcome mental illness.

Since living in Guyana, I have met several individuals who also struggle with mental illness and substance abuse. I had an incredible interview with a middle-aged man who now lives in Guyana but who was based in the USA for a number of years. Sadly, he became involved with drugs and became addicted to cocaine. He lost everything because of his addiction. However once he lost touch with his wife and children, he knew it was time to get help.

My friend was able to find a place at a rehabilitation facility and was able to stop taking drugs and receive much-needed support and therapy. He told me that the best thing to come out of the experience was regaining choice. When someone has an addiction, they lose their right to choose and become slaves to the addiction, doing whatever they can to satisfy their cravings. He now realises that he was using drugs to replace the lack of love that he felt in his life. Although he has made tremendous progress over the years, he has relapsed and when we met, it was not his first time at the facility. Despite relapsing, he remains confident that he will continue to maintain sobriety in his life.

I have other friends who have overcome other mental illnesses through a combination of various interventions. They all agree that progress can be made and mental illness can be overcome or managed so as to not be a hindrance to one’s life. The key seems to be therapy. My friends all rave about how much of a difference psychotherapy has made to their lives because they were able to confront their demons with the right tools in order to overcome them. This is what therapy does.

In next week’s column, we will look at treatment options available in Guyana for mental illness.