MY NAME IS BRETT WOLLER AND I HAVE BEEN FACILITATING AT GOLDCOAST FOR MORE THAN A YEAR NOW AT THE BOCA RATON MEETINGS. I AM 33 AND BI-POLAR. MY WIFE NIKKI AND I HAVE TWO CHILDREN, DONAVAN WHO HAS OCD AND ALLISON WHO IS BI-POLAR.
I HAD MY FIRST PSYCHOTIC EPISODE AT AGE 23 (1996) AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A SINGLE PSYCHOTIC EPISODE OF UNKNOWN NATURE. IT WAS THOUGHT THAT WAS BROUGHT ON BY THE STRESS OF THE POLICE ACADEMY AND WORKING THE STREETS. I WAS ON LITHIUM FOR A YEAR THEN TAKEN OFF IT WHEN I SHOWED SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT. I WAS MANIC THE NEXT 5 YEARS AND KEPT IT HIDDEN FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS UNTIL MY NEXT PSYCHOTIC EPISODE IN 2002.
IN HINDSIGHT I HAVE BEEN BIPOLAR ALL MY LIFE I JUST ESCAPED DIAGNOSES DUE TO LACK OF KNOWLEDGE BY MY PARENTS. I WAS LABELED A.D.D INSTEAD AND DEALT WITH YEARS OF "COMA" INDUCED RITALIN. BIPOLAR HAS ROBBED ME OF ALMOST EVERYTHING I CHERISHED, MY CAREER, FRIENDS, FINANCIAL STABILITY AND ALMOST MY WIFE AND CHILDREN.
FORTUNATELY THINGS ARE BEGINNING TO TURN AROUND AND WITH THE HELP OF MY PSYCHOLOGIST AND A STEADY COCKTAIL OF THE RIGHT MEDICATIONS I AM ABLE TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL OF SANITY AND "NORMALCY". WITH THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF MY WIFE, WHO IS AN LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), MY CHILDREN, AND MY FATHER AND HIS PARTNER, MY AUNT AND UNCLE, MY MOTHER IN LAW, MY SISTER IN LAW AND HER BOYFRIEND AS WELL AS THE DBSA MEMBERS.
I AM ABLE TO SEE A LIGHT AT THE END OF THIS DARK TUNNEL AND HAVE HOPE THAT SOMEDAY I WILL BECOME ONCE AGAIN A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY.
IT GIVES ME A GREAT SENSE OF BELONGING TO BE A PART OF THE DBSA GOLDCOAST CHAPTER AND KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH WHAT I GO THROUGH ON A DAILY BASIS. MY POSITION AS A FACILITATOR HELPS ME HELP OTHERS, WHICH IN TURN HELPS ME MAINTAIN MY WELL-BEING.
I BELIEVE IN USING A POSITIVE THOUGHT METHOD THAT FOCUSES ON THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE NOW AND TURNING THE NEGATIVE INTO OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE. I ALSO TAKE TIME TO HELP CONSUMERS FIND A GOAL-ORIENTATED TASK EACH WEEK. NO MATTER HOW SMALL IT MAY BE, SUCH AS DOING SOMETHING THAT BRINGS THEM PLEASURE THAT THEY HAVE NOT DONE IN A LONG TIME, TAKING A WALK THROUGH THE MALL, GOING TO THE BEACH OR LIBRARY, GETTING TOGETHER WITH A FRIEND FOR AN AFTERNOON, OR ANYTHING THAT IS MEASURABLE.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE SMALL GOALS TO GET THROUGH EACH WEEK AND THIS GIVES THE CONSUMER AN EXTRA REASON TO COME BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING AND HAVE A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT TO SHARE WITH OTHERS. NO TRIUMPH IS TOO SMALL, ALL ACHIEVEMENTS COUNT TOWARDS REACHING RECOVERY.
DBSA CHANGED MY LIFE AND NOW I AM GIVING BACK WHAT IT HAS GIVEN ME. I WANT TO SHARE THE COURAGE AND STRENGTH THAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE THIS ILLNESS WITH YOU AND HOPE THAT I CAN INSPIRE OTHERS TOWARDS RECOVERY AS I HAVE BEEN, BY THOSE WHO INSPIRED ME. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF YOU IN THE FUTURE AND WISH YOU THE BEST IN YOUR JOURNEY TO YOUR OWN RECOVERY.
Feel free to contact Brett at his email, bocabrett@aol.com
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THIS IS MY FATHER SHELDON
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THIS IS MY MOTHER IN LAW DONNA
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THIS IS MY FATHERS PARTNER MICHAEL
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HERE IS SHELDON AND MICHAEL
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