Archive for the 'Success Story' Category

By Mathew P. Flaherty and William Harter

I was diagnosed with a mental illness in the 60s.  My symptoms started at 11 years old.  I could not get out of bed, comb my hair or take care of myself.  Eight years later, when I was 19, they diagnosed me as schizophrenic.  My doctor said it was just one of those illnesses that happen, like a broken leg.  Schizophrenia is not an illness easily diagnosed.

People who have mental illnesses are sometimes told it is all in their head and you are imagining what is happening to you.  I wish that were the case.  It is not something you can wish away—you have to face it and deal with it.

A psychiatrist examined me and I was admitted to the IMH on Dec. 17, 1975.  I was there four months, and then went to a shelter.

It was a long, hard fight.  I look at the position I’m in and it could have been much worse.  Many people with mental illnesses are victims of crime and violence.   Continue reading ‘Success Story: Mathew Flaherty’

By Arline Bolvin

Ann C. Cruz strides confidently and purposefully as she packs her presentation materials in the car, her smile and demeanor conveying warmth but also poise and style.  At forty-seven Ann travels a road many women travel, but few survive and flourish as well as Ann has.

Working with women in recovery from domestic violence and mental illness is what gives Ann purpose today. Having lived the experience both as a child of a single, bi-racial, and mentally ill parent, as well as becoming mired in an abusive marriage herself, there aren’t too many sides of these issues Ann hasn’t experienced herself. Continue reading ‘Breaking Down the Barriers of Intolerance’

By Brian Young

“Woman hit with stone, in serious condition” was the headline to an article in the May 23, 2007, Providence Journal.

The headline was about Lawshawnda Dennis, who decided that her injury was a signal to change her life. At that point, Dennis had been battling addiction for about 15 years. Continue reading ‘Injury Prodded Woman onto a Path of Recovery’

By Stan Kapelewski

After a long, difficult journey through a life filled with trials and tribulations, Richard Sprague took on the challenge of regaining control of his life at the age of 49.

Sprague is a lifelong resident of Rhode Island who grew up in a large family of nine siblings.  Tragedy struck, and Sprague’s father died before he even had a chance to know him. Sprague’s mother was left a single parent of nine children. Continue reading ‘Lesson #1 for Success: Hit Problems Head-On’

By Brynn McNally

When he first arrived, Todd Pont thought himself an unlikely candidate to handle the front desk at Warm Shelter in Westerly, Rhode Island, where he has lived and volunteered for the past 19 months. Todd is covered in tattoos, has limited use of his left arm because of a violent confrontation landing him in the ACI for three years, and has a self-described discomfort with social interaction. Yet remembering his first visit to the shelter a few months prior, the staff believed in his potential and gave him the chance to help out at the desk. Now Todd handles the phones and helps out in the main office. For the past year and a half he has been volunteering at Warm Shelter every day, and believes himself a stronger man because of it. Continue reading ‘Shelter Staff Sees Faith in Its Client Bear Fruit’