Personal stories

Where is the instruction manual?

Melissa Medjuck, MSW, RSW

Reprinted from the Supporting Parents issue of Visions Journal, 2021, 17 (1), pp. 14-16

Transition was the biggest blessing in Cole’s life, but it also brought along the stress of navigating a major life transition without the support of family, friends, and community members. He started partying to cope, and ended up dropping out of school to work in order to make money for drugs. Now sober, in school, and on a path to support LGBTQ2S youth, Cole reflects on the importance of treatment options that address interdependent challenges like gender identity, homelessness, and drug use and look at the whole person.

Arjun felt isolated and bullied, in part due to the stigma of mental health problems in his South Asian community. Through his passion and success in bhangra, he discovered that music and dance are an important opportunity to change the way we think about mental health. Now a dance instructor, he uses his own experiences to help his students find their own well-being.

Growing up, Troy ran into the wrong crowd. He was introduced to drugs and discovered a new way to feel power, and dropped out of school in Grade 10. But he wanted more—a family—and he knew he needed a good job. Find out who in Troy’s life helped him to reconnect with what we wanted and take control back.

When Seren had to share a culture as part of her class’ International Day, she picked Ukraine because she was too embarrassed of her own Indigenous culture. Even though she wanted a relationship with her heritage, she and her family also experienced racism. Find out how Seren put the pieces together between her mental well-being and her relationship with Indigenous culture to start a journey of healing.

Initially, it was hard for Ryan and his family to find supports and services after Ryan came out as trans and wanted to transition. Having the right pieces in place made all the difference—supportive family and access to service providers who understood the bigger picture. However, many young people, including in Ryan’s life, who experience complicated challenges around mental health and gender identity aren’t receiving the care and support they need.

Anden transitioned from male to female after moving to a new town to access resources and put some distance between him and the people he saw every day. Working in industries like logging and mining—not always known as open-minded fields—brought up opportunities to help co-workers understand gender and sexual orientation, and Anden now shares his experiences and knowledge, including around mental health, to help build respectful communities.

Jason has had a difficult life including sexual abuse and repeated incarceration. Drug addiction has been a constant influence, and depression has simultaneously overwhelmed him with negative thoughts and robbed him of motivation and purpose. But connecting to the right resources has made a world of difference: counselling, work as a plumber or peer supporter, social support, exercise, a higher power, and stable housing.

Samantha’s story starts with her own eating disorder, depression, anxiety and PTSD and eventually problems with alcohol and painkillers, too. Samantha then describes the transition to becoming a parent to a child who will go on to develop her own mental health struggles. Find out more about the strength and vulnerability Samantha needs to support her daughter, including realizing when they both need more help.

Like many, Leslie did not accept her diagnosis easily. But manic spending, rage against loved ones, homelessness and hospitalization finally swayed Leslie that medication was a needed support. Major medication side effects and accessing specialists in a smaller northern town, however, have presented new challenges. See how Leslie is doing now, what changes she’d like to see in the health system, and the value mental illness has in her life.