Donald Evans Commitment to Recovery




DONALD EVAN'S STORY

As far as advice to someone facing an outpatient commitment, I think the best thing for him or her to do is to use it to become educated. They need to realize that they have a chemical imbalance; that they DO have a brain disease. It's not just their fault -- they were genetically born with it, or that it came on through age, or whatever.

 

If people don't take their medication, they're going to get into trouble. As a person who's had bizarre thoughts and feelings, I know what people are going through -- I've been through the same thing. Some people who deny that they're ill become either homicidal, suicidal, or both. I haven't been homicidal but I've been suicidal, and I got help.

 

I learned that when those feelings started, it was part of my depressive part of my illness, and I needed to seek help before I got worse and reacted again. I learned this largely through outpatient commitment, and the education I got through treatment. Sometimes outpatient commitment is needed -- I would say in limited circumstances -- it would be based on what the person did or what they do

 

I hope that people realize that individuals with severe mental illnesses need help before they get into trouble and commit a violent act like homicide or suicide. To wait until a violent act occurs often can be too late, and isn't a compassionate approach for people who have severe mental illnesses like mine.




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