Purpose & Love Found at Clubhouse
Michael W. has spent a lifetime focused on his mental health. At age seven he was diagnosed with ADHD and recalls being isolated in school. “It was embarrassing because everyone knew you were from the special education class. We only got to interact with the other students at lunch.”
At 37, this memory is still a painful one. It was the beginning of feeling singled out and different. Along the way, Michael has had subsequent diagnoses, first bi-polar and more recently schizoaffective disorder. Throughout all the years of therapy and treatment he recalls feeling sub-human, like a robot. “Doctors made me feel like a diagnosis, not a person.” With a loving family who advocated for him, Michael remained hopeful. After five years at an unfilling day program, he was at a turning point. “I would attend from 9am-3pm and it was often chaotic, sometimes people would throw chairs. The worst part though was that I felt invisible, I was not progressing in my life, just existing.”
Determined to help, his therapist and parents decided he needed something different. Despite having reservations based on years of disappointment and lack of results, he kept an open mind about visiting Sanctuary House, a Clubhouse that follows the Clubhouse Model of psychosocial rehabilitation, in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“From day one, I liked the atmosphere. They make me feel like I’m part of the family and treat me like a human. They genuinely care about me and even on rough days they listen and help me get through it.”
Besides finding community at Sanctuary House, Michael has also found purpose. “I’m looking to start massage therapy school in August.” Michael says the Clubhouse has challenged him in good ways, never pushing but encouraging him to grow. “In the past, I felt like I was treated like a baby who could not make decisions on my own. People often think those living with mental illness are not smart or capable, but Sanctuary House sees the potential in me and has nurtured that.”
Michael has also found love at Sanctuary House. He met his fiancé who is also a member. He says the relationship would not have been possible without the help of his Clubhouse. “I knew I needed to work on myself first before I could commit to a serious relationship. Over the past few years I’ve done just that.”
Sanctuary House Director Anne Carter says the Michael she knows today is far different from the person that entered the Clubhouse nearly two years ago. “When he arrived, his parents did most of the talking for him but within a week the quiet person we first met emerged as a bold leader.” Clubhouse provided the environment and community for Michael to thrive. He now leads most of the tours for Sanctuary House and has a great group of friends.
Michael’s message to people that feel like they are merely existing with mental illness: “You are not alone. Every program is not the same, find a place where you can grow and learn to cope with your mental illness. For me that place is Sanctuary House.”
Learn more about the Clubhouse difference or find a Clubhouse near you.