Perry Drobot says he’s on the other side of what was a long, tiresome and dark period of his life.
He tells his story nervously but proudly, having a new understanding of his childhood trauma and the coping mechanisms he turned to.
“I’m starting to become a better person thanks to the hard work from the people at Providence Care,” says Perry.
Perry is served by the Regional Specialty Mental Health Team. This interprofessional team works in a shared care model with Primary Care and is comprised of occupational therapists, social workers, nurses and psychiatry. Care is available in the community and clinicians provide recovery focused treatment, rehabilitation and support to enable people we serve to live satisfying, hopeful, and contributing lives.
“I carried a lot of shame from childhood abuse. I thought it was all my fault,” explains Perry.
“I tried to bury my feelings and hide them, and to ease the pain and suffering I turned to drugs and alcohol. Much of my adulthood was quite confusing and I spent much of my time homeless,” he bravely goes on to say.
Perry says that before working with Providence Care he was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and was told he was often having panic attacks. But he says he didn’t have a good grasp on his diagnosis, didn’t understand why he was suffering or how the medication he was prescribed was supposed to help him.
“I really didn’t understand all the feelings going on in my head or why they were happening,” recounts Perry. “That’s until I was introduced to Dave Carmichael and Doctor A” [Dr. Oyedji (Deji) Ayonrinde].
Dave Carmichael is an occupational therapist and Dr. Ayonrinde is a psychiatrist. They are two members of the Regional Specialty Mental Health team.
Perry has now been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and border-line personality disorder.
“Now that I know what I have and the symptoms of it, it has become clearer to me why I was going through such a hard time and was so scared, ashamed and withdrawn from people,” explains Perry.
“By working with Providence Care I’m coming out of my shell, I’m trying to overcome my addictions and manage them, I really appreciate the help.”
The services that Perry accessed are just two of more than 20 community services Providence Care delivers across the region. Individuals can access support, care and treatment in their own homes or communities, and feel confident knowing they will be treated with respect, dignity and compassion.
In addition to the adult mental health teams, Providence Care offers support services to help seniors, people with physical disabilities, brain injuries, dementia, chronic illness, addiction and neurological disorders, live independently in the community.
Providence Care is also the leading provider for Community Seniors Mental Health and Behavioural Support in South Eastern Ontario. These teams support the needs of older adults living with cognitive disorders such as dementia, late onset mental health needs, and/or other neurological disorders and associated responsive behaviours.
With community locations in Kingston, Napanee, Belleville, Brockville and Sharbot Lake, Providence Care is ensuring individuals living in communities all across Southeastern Ontario have access to compassionate care close to where they live.
As for Perry, he’s secured housing and continues to work with his therapist Dave Carmichael and psychiatrist Dr. Ayonride. He says thanks to the community services offered by Providence Care coupled with his own hard work, he’s now living a wholesome life filled with joy.
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