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Georgetown Ministry Center Georgetown Ministry Center

Category: Health

There are 6 posts in this category.

March 1, 2018

Mental illness doesn’t discriminate; it can strike anyone, anywhere, regardless of age, sex, race, creed or economic status. And when it does, it’s not just the individual who is affected, but their loved ones, as well.

Joanne’s son was besieged by mental illness and, as a result, became homeless in his mid-20’s. Her story is not unlike other families’ whose loved ones — fathers, mothers, sons and daughters — have been affected by mental illness and felt the impact of its sometimes devastating effects.

We have great strides to be made as a society to better equip ourselves to effectively treat mental health issues. In the meantime, the sharing of stories like Joanne’s will help others to realize they are not struggling alone and highlight the importance of organizations that assist those living with mental illness and experiencing homelessness in our communities.

(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Joanne, can you describe your son, Kevin? Before his mental illness, during his lowest points struggling with it, and now, presently?

Kevin is an introvert, a thinker. In his teens, he got his first keyboard and taught himself how to play. Friends would come over and set up their instruments in his room. They’d make awful racket at first but over a period of months, I saw marked improvement. It even got to the point where I recognized the music. While in college full-time, he honed his programming skills by working for a small business. With his income, he bought his first vehicle, a Nissan Xterra. These lessons in determination and perseverance would serve him well.

In hindsight, I now see early signs of his illness starting in his early 20’s. Increasing isolation. Sloppiness. Minimal communication. At the time, I didn’t know or recognize it as an illness. I thought, ‘that’s just his personality.’ Oh, how I wish I’d known better then.

 

When/how did Kevin begin to experience homelessness?

In February 2012, I got a frantic call from his girlfriend informing me he was in the ER. Before he agreed to stay, he told me he “heard voices.” I knew what that meant…NO! Not My Son! Denial protected me temporarily from my worst fears because while he was in the hospital, my son’s schizophrenia and I met for the first time. Schizophrenia, his lifelong menace. Fortunately, I was in therapy at the time (I’m a firm believer in the power of talk therapy and have benefitted from good therapists for close to 15 years) which provided me with a safe outlet for my fears. After his release, medicated and stabilized, Kevin decided he didn’t need meds anymore. Schizophrenia happily reclaimed his mind. Our family could not live with Kevin in an unmedicated state so he went to the streets of DC.  

In November 2014, I allowed him to come live with me, my daughter and her son. He was unmedicated; his behavior was bizarre. Frightening. The physical being was my son. The mind belonged to schizophrenia. My daughter was so frightened that she slept with a hammer under her pillow every night. I was suicidal. Confused. Scared. Angry. In March 2015, I asked him to leave so he went back to the streets of DC.

He stopped calling. I cried. Prayed. Hoped. Waited. I wanted to know he was still alive. Then it came. The call from a 202 number. I googled it. Georgetown Ministry Center. The website said “seeking lasting solutions to homelessness, one person at a time.” I clicked the link. Gunther Stern (GMC’s then-Executive Director) wrote an article on homelessness and mental illness. I read it. I cried. I emailed Gunther. HE KNEW KEVIN! Then I found Sabrina (GMC’s Case Manager). She is the one with whom I was in constant communication. Status checks periodically. I believe where there’s breath, there’s hope. As long as Kevin was alive, there was hope he’d find recovery. Sabrina’s “Kevin sightings” kept me going. When Kevin’s condition worsened, Sabrina encouraged me to come see him. “He needs to see you,” she said. My daughter and I met Sabrina in person in August 2017. I was finally able to personally thank her for everything.  

In October 2017, Kevin spent 10 days at Washington Hospital Center. This time it stuck. He’s been with me since October 23rd. His requirement for staying is that he take his meds. So far, we’ve only had one incident where he’s challenged me. When he understood this was non-negotiable — that it was either meds and my house, or no meds and the street — he relented.

I describe his situation as “recovery from homelessness.” His behavior is odd. I notice “homeless” characteristics – like the way he protects his food, ice cream for breakfast, borderline hygiene habits – which make me sad. Every day he improves and I see glimpses into the remarkable man he is.  

 

What has the experience of Kevin’s mental illness and homelessness been like for you?

I was once awakened by a call from Kevin at 2AM. I heard cracking twigs, rustling leaves and knew he was headed to the woods to sleep. He told me he wanted to get a knife to protect himself. My heart hurt.

A day never passed that I didn’t think of him, say a prayer for his safety. There were times I was consumed by fear. Talking helps, but among my circle of friends, few understand exactly what it’s like to be a mom to a homeless man with schizophrenia.

 

Can you share your experience working with GMC? Are there ways you feel GMC was able to help while Kevin was living on the street?

GMC was a source of calm and strength for me. Once I learned he checked in there every day and I found Sabrina, I was comforted beyond measure. Hearing Sabrina say, “Kevin was here today,” lifted the fear from my heart because I knew he was alive for one more day. Where there’s breath, there’s hope.

 

What words of advice or wisdom that you’ve gleaned from your experience might you share with another family facing a similar situation with a loved one who is experiencing mental illness/homelessness?

Google it. If your loved one calls from a strange number, Google it. You never know where that might lead you.

Be persistent. If you learn your loved one is in the hospital, call the social worker and make friends with him/her. At one hospital, the social worker called me after-hours to give me information she probably shouldn’t have because she knew I was his mom.

Be kind. Always. I got more information and more help when I was kind.

Get involved. There are homeless people EVERYWHERE and they need our help. My entire perspective on homelessness has changed in the last 5 years. They don’t choose it. EVER.

Use your resources. I have friends who are police officers, nurses, physician assistants, therapists. I don’t hesitate to call and ask for help.

Pray. My biggest source of strength is God. Secondary are my daughter and brother. I would not have survived without their support, honesty and strength. Honesty is key because I continually got wrapped up in wanting to save him no matter the cost to me.

Take care of yourself. Your life is valuable, too. Think of what the flight attendant tells us: put your own oxygen mask on first then take care of those traveling with you. If I don’t take care of myself, I cannot take care of those around me. Exercise and running is my main thing. That coupled with my lab, Toby, enable me to face whatever life throws my way.

Keep your eyes wide open and brain engaged. I never know where or from whom information will come.

Recovery from homelessness is a slow process. When he arrived at my house, Kevin’s fingernails were very long, his hair and beard were scruffy, he needed glasses…and, of course, I’m ready to fix him, clean him up and make him better. I quickly learned I needed to back off and let him handle it. I focused on what was most important: he had food, he was in a bed, warm, safe — and, selfishly, I knew where he was. I let him do the rest. It’s been slow but then his decline to his bottom was slow, too.

I have taken great joy in noticing his milestone moments. A few weeks ago, he got glasses. Just a week ago, he trimmed his nails. And even more recently, he went to the barber, cut his hair and trimmed his beard.

Kevin’s time, not mine.

God’s time, not mine.

 

Names and other minor details have been changed to protect the privacy of those sharing this story.

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March 27, 2014

Where have all the patients gone? 

murphyRepresentative Tim Murphy opened yesterday’s House subcommittee hearing on the shortage of psychiatric beds with this question. A panel of experts, including GMC’s own Gunther Stern, spoke for over two hours about the lack of adequate mental health care and the impact it has on families, taxpayers’ dollars, and our society.

This hearing, held by The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, is part of the Committee’s ongoing oversight of Federal spending on research and treatments for mental illness. The hearing, as described in the hearing’s memo,  examined “the strain that this shortage exerts on the seriously mentally ill throughout our communities in the form of homelessness as well as increased contact with law enforcement and the criminal justice system, more generally.”

Keep reading for a few excerpts from panelists’ testimonies.

Read more…

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March 14, 2013

NPR recently had a segment about health care, aging, and homelessness. We encourage everyone to take a few minutes to listen to the piece and read the short article on the NPR website.

This piece came out right before the first day of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council 2013 conference, which is taking place right here in Washington, D.C. Dr. Catherine Crosland, who visits GMC on Thursdays, is presenting at the conference. We will recap her presentation after the conference. Stay tuned!

Categories: Health, In the Press

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July 25, 2012

The New Yorker recently published a 15,000-word feature about Bruce Springsteen, which delves into Springsteen’s life and history of clinical depression. This news and word of this feature is making its way into many headlines, news segments, and blog posts.

Maybe you are wondering why we are blogging about it, too. Why would a homeless outreach organization be interested in what Springsteen, an influential and important figure in the music industry, has to say? The answer is this: When the Boss talks about a decades-long struggle with clinical depression, suicidal thoughts, and a family history of mental illness, it opens up a discussion about these issues that affect so many people, including the homeless.

The CDC’s staggering statistic is that one in ten Americans report suffering from depression. Research also show that chronically and street-based homeless people are more likely to experience depression.¹ Whether depression is a cause or result (or both) of homelessness, the fact is that many of the guests who pass through GMC’s doors are depressed, and so we bring in experts like Dr. Ron Koshes, our psychiatrist, to help diagnose and treat those who need help.

The news segment we aired this morning in our clubhouse mentioned Springsteen’s depression, which we hope will open channels of communication between us and our community.

¹La Gory, Mark, Ferris J. Ritchey, and Jeff Mullis. “Depression among the Homeless.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 31.1 (1990): 87-102. Web. 25 Jul. 2012.

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July 17, 2012

Geneticists have long thought that schizophrenia and autism are two separate and unrelated conditions. However, a trio of researchers working on the genetics behind psychiatric disorders have made a new discovery: “People may be more prone to autism spectrum disorders if they have family members with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.” (Treatment Advocacy Center)

How are schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum disorder similar?

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia such as auditory and visual hallucinations have a sensory component, and sensory processing disorders occur in an estimated 90% of individuals on the autistic spectrum. Negative symptoms such as lack of engagement with the world and other people that occur in schizophrenia also are diagnostic flags for autism.

In the study that was done, analyses of genetic collections revealed that individuals with autism had similar proportions of relatives with schizophrenia or biopolar disorder. The importance of this link is the hope that, with more research on the similarities between the disorders, we will be better able to diagnose and treat them.

Categories: Health, In the Press

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