- R
- L
HELP RYAN FIND HIS SILVER LINING
If you have seen the movie, Silver Lining Playbook, Starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, it was based on a true story, the story depicts a man, played by Bradley Cooper, with Bipolar Disorder, returns from eight months in a psychiatric hospital, it depicts his day to day struggles of dealing with this condition—and is very true to life for us, one of the few true Bipolar stories that had a good ending! We are seeking “our good ending” and we need your help--to make it happen!
ABOUT RYAN'S ILLNESS
Whether or not you ever had experience with a loved one suffering from mental illness--let this be the story you hear that will enable you to understand just what encompasses the underlying symptoms; the loss of socialization, the disability, and the breaking apart of the family when a loved one is in crisis. All illnesses have similar aspects to what is described here, but when an illness cannot be seen, it becomes invisible, often ignored and misunderstood. The stigma that society has placed on individuals suffering from mental illness makes it hard for families and patients to seek proper treatment. Often, self medication influences recovery and triggers a dual diagnosis; Substance Abuse and Bipolar Disorder, frequently goes hand in hand with one another.
RYAN'S CHALLENGES WITH HIS ILLNESS
Our son, Ryan, has been suffering with this illness for over 15 years and recently "hit rock bottom!" Over the course of the 15 years, he has done everything within his power and ability to overcome this illness, the extraordinary challenges, episodes, starts and stops of achievements, and feeling as though there is no positive outlook, which makes it impossible to cope and manage on his own.
Ryan was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder when he was 16, he is turning 31 next month. Most people would never begin to understand how much he goes through each day to overcome the burden of this horrific illness. Ryan would take medication for the rest of his life if it worked. Unfortunately, nothing works, when on medication after a short time, his body becomes immune to it, and the medication stops working, putting him in severe depression, then into mania, until he becomes delusional and paranoid. The only time medication works is when he is in crisis, no medication has been able to ward off the crisis.
REACHING HIS FIRST MILESTONE
Recently, Ryan was going through very severe depression where he almost took his life, but realized how awful that would be for his parents, he stopped, and decided to throw out the meds that he was on from this past January; they did not work. The only other time he was in a similar situation and took himself abruptly off meds was when he enrolled in school full time and managed to finish, excel, and graduate, while working full time. On medication he never would have been able to finish school. He took his exam for state license and passed, however, he never received his license. Another indication of how mental illness stigmatizes individuals and keeps them from being successful.
THE EFFECTS OF HIS ILLNESS
If you are unfamiliar with Bipolar episodes, they go from being totally down (deep depression), to so up (manic), their bodies go into overdrive. Nothing can stop them, they do not have the ability to think things through, to make wise choices and decisions, their minds cannot process whether something is there, or, if it is their imagination. They become impulsive and relentless if they feel there is someone or something that could threaten them, their perception becomes distorted, in one instant--it changes. Running, biking, and walking are Ryan's coping mechanisms, once he gets started, nothing can stop him-it doesn't matter what time it is, he will have to seize that very moment and go do it! The law does not help caregivers, unless he attempts to harm himself or someone else there is nothing they can do. There are no options, it leaves us bereft--no where to turn! We are required to wait for a crisis to occur and there is nothing we can do to stop it!
HITTING "ROCK BOTTOM"
Two weeks ago, Ryan, quickly went into a manic episode, became very paranoid and delusional with a family friend, and ran away because he feared this person was not only a threat to us, but to the whole society. He ran, he was very adamant and deliberate about his plans, determined to get away, and seek a hiding place. After calling the police we were so fortunate they put out a Missing Persons search and went all out in their efforts to try and find him. Several hours later, the assistance of an entire police force, they apprehended him and brought him to local hospital. He has been hospitalized ever since, due to the over exertion of strenuous exercise for a period of ten days, he needed to be stabilized before he would be able to be treated for psychiatric issues. This is only one of many episodes since Ryan’s diagnosis with this illness—he has experienced nine severe episodes in his life, which all required extended inpatient hospital stays.
LAST CALL FOR HELP
We must try something different for Ryan, “keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results is insanity!” We are unable to handle this alone anymore, we are asking for your help, Ryan needs an alternative and neither wants nor deserves this kind of life—in and out of hospitals. He wants to be able to go to school, find someone to share his life with, have a family; he desperately wants to maintain his mental wellness so he can have a promising life to fulfill his goals and dreams without this "life sentence."
WHERE RYAN CAN FIND HIS "SILVER LINING
With your help, he will have a better chance!
(Below: taken from their website):
The Alternative to Meds Center is a world authority on the subjects of biochemical correction of addiction and alternatives to psychiatric drugs. We handle residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation, as well as specialized care for a tapering medication withdrawal.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
We address the physical, emotional and spiritual facets of addiction and mental health, creating the proper stage for lasting recovery and revived happiness. We also have a relationship with a nearby hospital who handles acute cases needing detox or medical stabilization so that a person can ready themselves for treatment here.
WHO WE ARE
We are licensed for medication withdrawal as a Level 2 Residential Behavioral Health Treatment Center, which is just below that of a Level 1 hospital. According to our licensing agency, we are the most committed in the State of Arizona, possibly the country, at helping persons reduce and eliminate the need for medications. Most treatment centers actually put persons on drugs and provide minimal counseling and a poor diet. We specialize in withdrawing persons from psychiatric medication in a relaxed, luxury retreat like setting.
PROGRAM EXPENSES-USE OF FUNDS
Every dollar will be used to support the medical costs and go straight to providing for his medical care and medical needs! The cost of the program is $40,000, he is required to have a family member there for the first two weeks of his admittance. Funding will also be used for airfare and hotel for family member; the funds need to be raised as soon as possible to ensure his space and to get him there as soon as possible. Upon his discharge by medical team in South Florida, Ryan will go directly to airport, board his flight, and go directly to Treatment Center in Arizona. We are so grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and for you helping to make this a reality!
Ryan would love nothing more than to be able to pay it forward when he reaches fulll recovery to advocate and create awareness for Mental Health Wellness!
If you have seen the movie, Silver Lining Playbook, Starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, it was based on a true story, the story depicts a man, played by Bradley Cooper, with Bipolar Disorder, returns from eight months in a psychiatric hospital, it depicts his day to day struggles of dealing with this condition—and is very true to life for us, one of the few true Bipolar stories that had a good ending! We are seeking “our good ending” and we need your help--to make it happen!
ABOUT RYAN'S ILLNESS
Whether or not you ever had experience with a loved one suffering from mental illness--let this be the story you hear that will enable you to understand just what encompasses the underlying symptoms; the loss of socialization, the disability, and the breaking apart of the family when a loved one is in crisis. All illnesses have similar aspects to what is described here, but when an illness cannot be seen, it becomes invisible, often ignored and misunderstood. The stigma that society has placed on individuals suffering from mental illness makes it hard for families and patients to seek proper treatment. Often, self medication influences recovery and triggers a dual diagnosis; Substance Abuse and Bipolar Disorder, frequently goes hand in hand with one another.
RYAN'S CHALLENGES WITH HIS ILLNESS
Our son, Ryan, has been suffering with this illness for over 15 years and recently "hit rock bottom!" Over the course of the 15 years, he has done everything within his power and ability to overcome this illness, the extraordinary challenges, episodes, starts and stops of achievements, and feeling as though there is no positive outlook, which makes it impossible to cope and manage on his own.
Ryan was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder when he was 16, he is turning 31 next month. Most people would never begin to understand how much he goes through each day to overcome the burden of this horrific illness. Ryan would take medication for the rest of his life if it worked. Unfortunately, nothing works, when on medication after a short time, his body becomes immune to it, and the medication stops working, putting him in severe depression, then into mania, until he becomes delusional and paranoid. The only time medication works is when he is in crisis, no medication has been able to ward off the crisis.
REACHING HIS FIRST MILESTONE
Recently, Ryan was going through very severe depression where he almost took his life, but realized how awful that would be for his parents, he stopped, and decided to throw out the meds that he was on from this past January; they did not work. The only other time he was in a similar situation and took himself abruptly off meds was when he enrolled in school full time and managed to finish, excel, and graduate, while working full time. On medication he never would have been able to finish school. He took his exam for state license and passed, however, he never received his license. Another indication of how mental illness stigmatizes individuals and keeps them from being successful.
THE EFFECTS OF HIS ILLNESS
If you are unfamiliar with Bipolar episodes, they go from being totally down (deep depression), to so up (manic), their bodies go into overdrive. Nothing can stop them, they do not have the ability to think things through, to make wise choices and decisions, their minds cannot process whether something is there, or, if it is their imagination. They become impulsive and relentless if they feel there is someone or something that could threaten them, their perception becomes distorted, in one instant--it changes. Running, biking, and walking are Ryan's coping mechanisms, once he gets started, nothing can stop him-it doesn't matter what time it is, he will have to seize that very moment and go do it! The law does not help caregivers, unless he attempts to harm himself or someone else there is nothing they can do. There are no options, it leaves us bereft--no where to turn! We are required to wait for a crisis to occur and there is nothing we can do to stop it!
HITTING "ROCK BOTTOM"
Two weeks ago, Ryan, quickly went into a manic episode, became very paranoid and delusional with a family friend, and ran away because he feared this person was not only a threat to us, but to the whole society. He ran, he was very adamant and deliberate about his plans, determined to get away, and seek a hiding place. After calling the police we were so fortunate they put out a Missing Persons search and went all out in their efforts to try and find him. Several hours later, the assistance of an entire police force, they apprehended him and brought him to local hospital. He has been hospitalized ever since, due to the over exertion of strenuous exercise for a period of ten days, he needed to be stabilized before he would be able to be treated for psychiatric issues. This is only one of many episodes since Ryan’s diagnosis with this illness—he has experienced nine severe episodes in his life, which all required extended inpatient hospital stays.
LAST CALL FOR HELP
We must try something different for Ryan, “keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results is insanity!” We are unable to handle this alone anymore, we are asking for your help, Ryan needs an alternative and neither wants nor deserves this kind of life—in and out of hospitals. He wants to be able to go to school, find someone to share his life with, have a family; he desperately wants to maintain his mental wellness so he can have a promising life to fulfill his goals and dreams without this "life sentence."
WHERE RYAN CAN FIND HIS "SILVER LINING
With your help, he will have a better chance!
(Below: taken from their website):
The Alternative to Meds Center is a world authority on the subjects of biochemical correction of addiction and alternatives to psychiatric drugs. We handle residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation, as well as specialized care for a tapering medication withdrawal.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
We address the physical, emotional and spiritual facets of addiction and mental health, creating the proper stage for lasting recovery and revived happiness. We also have a relationship with a nearby hospital who handles acute cases needing detox or medical stabilization so that a person can ready themselves for treatment here.
WHO WE ARE
We are licensed for medication withdrawal as a Level 2 Residential Behavioral Health Treatment Center, which is just below that of a Level 1 hospital. According to our licensing agency, we are the most committed in the State of Arizona, possibly the country, at helping persons reduce and eliminate the need for medications. Most treatment centers actually put persons on drugs and provide minimal counseling and a poor diet. We specialize in withdrawing persons from psychiatric medication in a relaxed, luxury retreat like setting.
PROGRAM EXPENSES-USE OF FUNDS
Every dollar will be used to support the medical costs and go straight to providing for his medical care and medical needs! The cost of the program is $40,000, he is required to have a family member there for the first two weeks of his admittance. Funding will also be used for airfare and hotel for family member; the funds need to be raised as soon as possible to ensure his space and to get him there as soon as possible. Upon his discharge by medical team in South Florida, Ryan will go directly to airport, board his flight, and go directly to Treatment Center in Arizona. We are so grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and for you helping to make this a reality!
Ryan would love nothing more than to be able to pay it forward when he reaches fulll recovery to advocate and create awareness for Mental Health Wellness!