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21-year-old Dan* had always loved the thrill of sports. Growing up, he excelled in football, baseball, and basketball, and later in extreme sports like snowboarding and skateboarding. The summer after Dan graduated from high school, a shoulder injury from snowboarding and football required two major surgeries. His doctor prescribed Percocet and Vicodin for the pain from the surgery. Dan would never be the same.
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Alma* doesn’t come to see me very often; and that’s just fine with me. You see, Alma is in Recovery from mental illness and I am her psychiatrist. Now that she’s reached Recovery, she doesn’t need me much. And that’s the whole idea.
When Alma began treatment, her life was out of control. She constantly heard voices attacking her every move, telling her she was worthless and that no one liked her. She discovered that crack cocaine quieted the voices, so she began using whenever she could. Soon her adult children stopped speaking to her and wouldn’t allow her to see her grandchildren. Alma plummeted into depression and hopelessness. The only out was the cocaine, but it was gaining more and more control over her life.
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Carrie*, 16, had been physically abused by her father for at least two years, but was too scared and ashamed to tell anyone. Her mother finally discovered what was going on when the bruises couldn’t be explained, so she tried to leave her husband. It took two tries.
Carrie first began to lose interest in her favorite hobbies, stopped hanging out with friends at school, and eventually stopped leaving the house all together.
But Carrie’s problems remained and she had at least two unsuccessful bouts with therapy prior to coming through our doors. |
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 Yolanda’s third day in CMHA’s after school program was also her ninth birthday. When she was surprised by a birthday cake presented by singing staff and children, Yolanda ran. She ran as if her life depended upon it. Around and around the building she went, with a mental health worker in close pursuit. Suddenly the staff member turned around and ran in the opposite direction. As he turned the corner, he came face to face with Yolanda. Yolanda froze and then screamed out in fear and began to cry hysterically.
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