In November of 2021, I was homeless, unmedicated, jobless, and struggling. My father told me he would only help me if I came to Florida, so I did because I needed his help. He immediately put me in the hospital in Delray, where I stayed for two weeks. I began to feel better after being put on Invega Sustenna, at which point it was time for me to go to treatment. My father and my caseworker had me interview a couple treatment centers, and the decision was for me to go to Lifeskills. At the time I was apathetic. I wanted to hope for the best and get some relief from my symptoms, but I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Cary M.
The treatment journey
My time at Lifeskills lasted 8 months altogether, from start to finish. I needed this time to take a break from reality, stay on medication and learn coping skills in individual and group therapy. Despite my reservations, it really wasn’t so bad. I was at residential for three months, PHP for another 3, and in IOP for 2. While at PHP, I got a job working at Office Depot where I stayed for 5 months until I felt ready to get a big boy job again. I had been living at Osceola House, the transitional housing offered by Lifeskills, and I knew it was time to live outside of a controlled community. I moved out of Osceola and rented a room, then a studio apartment, and finally got an apartment of my own in August of 2023! It was great. I cooked food, cleaned, and did so well living independently my father got his deposit back from the landlord.
Life after treatment
In 2024, I moved to Austin, where I made ends meet all by myself. It was a struggle but I had a solid roommate here and I made sure I maintained my mental health during this transition period. Soon I begin my next chapter (again) in a house I bought with my own credit (with some help from family). I have close friends moving in with me and it will be even more responsibility on my plate, and I know I can do it. I’m giddy with excitement for what my next chapter holds. Today, being an alum of Lifeskills means I have support networks, new friends, and a wonderful alumni coordinator to support me and help find me resources when able. Dani Lozzi has done a wonderful job coordinating the alumni. She stays in contact with me in a very professional manner, and she always has new ways I can give back to the community.
Rabbi Gaines was also phenomenal. Inside the earth there are many things. If you know where to dig, and what to dig for, you can find jewels and diamonds instead of just rocks. The rabbi is the geologist of the soul. He can show you where to dig, and what to dig for, but the digging you must do yourself.As Rabbi Gaines told me, Hanukkah is about being a light unto the nations. That’s the purpose of being a Jew. I shared my story this holiday season in the hopes that other people become more willing to tell each other their struggles, progress, hopes, and dreams, to be a light unto others. This is the best holiday season I’ve ever had!
3 years since leaving Lifeskills, I’ve accomplished so much. I have gotten a good paying job, bought a house, and repaired my relationships with my friends and family. I’ve seen friends along the way falter and waver. Some of my friends have turned to drugs, others have gone off their medication, while another quit drinking and checked himself into rehab, which was unexpected and I’m proud of him. I have made sure to remain steadfast in my commitment to maintaining my mental health throughout it all. Without the eight and a half months I spent getting med compliant, I surely never would have been able to do these things. I’m living proof that Lifeskills can work, and if it worked for me, it can work for anybody!
Advice from Cary
My advice to any current client that may be struggling is to take it one day at a time. Don’t get up to funny business. Focus on yourself, although friends are nice and all, but you are there to work on yourself. You matter most. For perspective, I met dozens of people in treatment and 3 years later, I talk to maybe two or three of the people I met there.
Should you choose to better yourself, you’ll get the help you need. For me it was about staying compliant with my medication. For you, you may need medication, and you may also need to choose abstinence from drinking and drugs. That’s okay. We all have our own battles. What’s important is that you know there’s a light at the end of your tunnel, and that it’s not a freight train headed your way! It’s daylight! The therapists, doctors, and most of the staff are on your side and willing to help you. Help them help you by being compliant. It’s going to be tough, especially at first, but nothing good for you is ever easy at first, especially nothing worth doing.
