My brother is currently being admitted to a long term care facility. He had a manic episode for the last couple of months that spiraled out of control. At first he went to an E.R. and was released in a day. After living on the street for a couple of days I think he got scared and went voluntarily into a psychiatric hospital. While there, he was evaluated and put on a 30 day hold while the conservatorship process was initiated. Conservatorship happens when the state deems that you are gravely disabled. And he is just that.
This is not the first time David has been hospitalized. We as a family have watched him go through this since he was 19. He is 40. For 20 years now he has been buffeted by mental illness. He has been rescued time and time again from bad circumstances before and after hospitalization. This time however, he is being conserved and the state will determine where and how he goes. A tough road lies ahead for him, but at some point on his journey he must face his illness and commit to recovery. I had to too.
So, what to do? I love my brother and hate to see him go through what I had to go through. I was conserved in 2011 after a severe manic episode. I was hospitalized for 9 months. During that time I was forced to face my illness. I was ill, it was chronic, and I had to realize that it would be a lifetime of taking medication, seeking therapy and participating in recovery. It has been a long, hard fight to recover and be well, stable and connected again to the world.
I know what I am going to do in regards to David. I am going to write this blog more. Maybe there is someone somewhere who needs to hear that they are not alone in their struggles. Hopefully I can reach those that are hurting because of mental illness. Perhaps I can influence another David and encourage him to seek treatment. It will make my journey worthwhile and so I will start today. Today I write for David.
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