Volunteer work helps you to get to know yourself
Greta Kaupmees, magazine “Naised” (“Women”)
Translation: Liina Martinson, Helpific
What is the impellent power that motivates people to function? Do we only work to get paid? Do we only operate to get recognition or emotional charge? Why am I doing something? Every person has probably asked those questions from himself.
Keiu Roosimägi, who is a volunteer in three organizations – Helpific, Tallinn and Harju County Union of Disabled Women, Estonian Neurofibromatosis Union – explains what volunteer work means.
Positive Attitude Development
11:01:00 PM
Lost years or a valuable lesson of life?
When life rolls difficult ordeals in front of us, it is important how we are able to deal with them. Especially important here is the ability, because without giving a more philosophical sense to the situation, we firstly tend to place ourselves in the role of a victim, which unfortunately will not help in coping with difficulties.
We meet Madis in the Mental Health Center of Kadriorg and already the first glance at the young man convinces me that this young person with an athletic physique and a friendly, confident look is not representing the role of a victim, but someone, who has clearly thought things through for himself. However, at the same time it can surely be assumed that the path he has taken for nearly 10 years has not been easy for him.
We meet Madis in the Mental Health Center of Kadriorg and already the first glance at the young man convinces me that this young person with an athletic physique and a friendly, confident look is not representing the role of a victim, but someone, who has clearly thought things through for himself. However, at the same time it can surely be assumed that the path he has taken for nearly 10 years has not been easy for him.
At
the age of 18, the doctors diagnosed Madis with schizophrenia, and later with
bipolar personality disorder. It all started from a deep depression during
adolescence, which was so strong that it was starting to take away the will to
live. Coping during the most difficult times of life – teenage years – mainly
depends on how well we are prepared for this and how strong we mentally are.
 |
| Madis |
The
young man, now aged 28, comes from a small rural area. Although grown up
without a father, he himself considers his childhood as a happy one – well
cared for and loved by the womenfolk, the boy was healthy, strong, and a good
student in school. It all changed in his teenage years: “It was bullying in
school- every remark towards me created stress. I was an athlete and physically
strong, but an introvert in nature and sensitive to bullying, I also had no
abilities to defend myself.” Madis himself believes that the bullying might
have been caused by his special status in school – the headmaster and some of
the teachers were a part of his family.
The
young man changed schools after depression took him to the hospital for the
first time. In a small place, everybody knows everyone and he did not wish to
go back to his old school as an object of discussion. Instead he finished
high-school in the Tallinn Old Town Evening School.
Life
with a severe diagnosis
Schizophrenia
means life in a completely different, unintelligible reality for the others,
and everything you hear, see and experience, seems so real that you will not
even realize that everything taking place is a reality only for you and not for
the others. How could you understand that these obsessions, strange images,
terrifying sensations are only a “wicked fabrication” of your own brain, and
have no greater connection with the world surrounding you. Madis put the pieces
together slowly, piece by piece, but the beginning was complicated.
To
visit a psychiatrist for the first time, was a psychologically difficult ordeal
for the young man, and it took him several years before he felt himself more
comfortable. Now he has his own doctor, but Madis is of the opinion that there
should be a site on internet where youngsters in distress could find some
overall information about mental disorders and their symptoms and even the
contacts of doctors or peer support, whom to ask primary advice.
“Before
my illness, I did not know anything about schizophrenia nor about bipolar
personality disorder. I had only seen movies where schizophrenia was shown in a
very bad light, amplified in a terrifying way, but I had not read anything
about these diseases. When the symptoms appeared, I did not have an idea what
it was – I was young and was not able to cope with the situation. During the
last 4-5 years I have learned more about this illness. I have read books, gained
knowledge from doctors, learned from my own experience, and participated in
trainings”.
While
struggling with psychosis, Madis has been to the hospital several times during
the years. One treatment session endures for about 2 weeks. “In
the first years, I needed to stay in the hospital for 5-6 weeks in a row. Now I
have enough experience and I can arrange my life so that I only get sleeping
difficulties – I can predict and know when the right time to go to the hospital
comes. Previously I was not able to react in the right time and I only turned
to the hospital when the situation was pretty bad. At that time, I also needed
to stay in the hospital for longer.”
Madis
is grateful to his family and friends who have always supported him. Family
members helped him realize that he would not be able to come out of this on his
own and needs to turn to the doctor for help. They also encouraged the young
man to seek help from sports, and fitness centers are a part of his days even
now when he is working as a coach in the Iru Youth Center.
Sick
or just a special person?
In
the first years after my diagnosis, I felt very sick and took the role of a
sick person. But later I started to think of myself as a special person. I
might be sick, but I do the same things that everybody else – I study, work, do
sports. I have friends, a girlfriend, and a family”.
Now
Madis says that the disease is a part of him and he is satisfied with it,
especially as he can do everything the same way his friends do. “I can do
everything they can do. The only difference is that I need to watch my health
more. There are more severe diseases than this. I have even thought that due to
my disease, I am more caring about myself than other people my age – I go to
bed at the right time, I do sports, eat healthy – I try to develop myself in
every way. The disease makes you think. Young people nowadays go out a lot, use
alcohol and do drugs. I know, that if I take good care of myself, my health
will be ok”.
Prevention
and rehabilitation
Madis
agrees that educating young people in the field of mental health should already
start in the first grades. Nowadays depression hits young people at an earlier
age and it is very important that the child would be able to notice the
symptoms in himself before the time when help should be looked for.
The
young man regards peer support practice as extremely important – experience is
the best teacher, even someone else’s experience. “In the earlier years I could
have used more help – it is much easier to cope with the situation when you
know that others have gone through the same thing. Peer support does not
emphasize the disease, you can easily relate to him, he has gone through the
same thing and understands the person in need better. He helps you to understand
yourself and your problems”.
Peer
support is not yet very common in Estonia as a support system, but Madis is
certain of the efficiency and importance of it through his own experience and
he has decided in the future to help people in need. He has gone through the
theory part of peer support training and after practice, he will be ready to
share his experience. I hope Madis will fulfill his dream to become a
psychologist so that he could successfully use his experience to help others.
In
the last two years, Madis has had a support person who helps him to give sense
to life and set goals and to cope with everyday life in general. Since
hospitals don’t offer support services, Madis’ own support person has visited
him in the hospital and he regards this support as very important. “Especially
in the beginning phases of the disease, it is very important to have a support
person, but he is of great help even afterwards”.
The
young man thinks it is important to do explanation work in the society talking
about problems of people with mental disorders, especially regarding their
employment. Employers are often prejudiced and diffident towards them and
mainly because of the society’s stigmatized attitude. “I think that employers
don’t have the experience in working with these people, they are also not fully
aware of the possibilities they could use when hiring people with mental
disorders. I believe it should not always be a problem to make more flexible
working schedules, not to apply night shifts etc”.
Life’s
valuable lesson
It
can firmly be stated that Madis has learned one of life’s lessons. There is no
point in getting angry or in a fight with something that you can’t change in
the first glance – better yet to accept it, learn from it and as a result we
won’t be talking about years lost to the disease but about a valuable
experience which has strengthened both the soul and mind.
“You
can’t give up, growing makes you stronger. And you can never know why something
might be good for you,” adds Madis in conclusion.
Text:
Ene Kaju, Helpific’s volunteer journalist
Translation:
Liina Martinson
© Helpific
