Our Stories

D.J.S. Experience with Psychosis , Age: 23

What have you struggled with? When did it become too much?

Depression with psychosis. It became too much when I was drinking everyday and using drugs before I attempted suicide.

What kind of support did you get at first? Did it work?

At first I was in the hospital then released to therapy, but this did not work at first because my diagnoses and medicine were not fully worked out.

Were there any turning points where things really started to change for the better?

Things changed for the better in 2015 when I went for a 6 month stay at CVH (CT Valley Hospital) and really learned about myself and who I was.

What’s your life like now? What have you been able to accomplish, and what are you working towards?

Now I work for Toivo and have a great relationship with my case worker and therapist. Both of them are helping me to grow as a person and learn to live with my illness/addiction.

What would you say to people who are having a tough time? What’s helped you that you wish you had known earlier

I would tell people to communicate and be open about what is going on with them. At first I was very closed off and did not want to accept the fact that I had a problem. It wasn’t until I started being true with myself and others that I was able to get the help I desperately needed.