A summary of Ana’s Smith, “I am a Believer.”

A summary of Ana’s Smith, “I am a Believer.”

Ana smith’s article, “I am a believer,” takes us through her journey in seeking treatment for her paranoid schizophrenia.  Ana has been struggling to fight the voices she hears in her head ever since she completed her studies in film school. Resultantly, the condition limited her work performance as a screenwriter forcing her to move from her residence in an art studio in Vancouver and back to her parent’s house in Calgary.

Ana’s condition was worsened by her denial of ailing from any mental illness as well as insufficient accessibility to information and knowledge regarding mental illness. Both these situations were a backlash to her treatment as she willingly skipped taking her medications and was unaware of the best approach to her condition. Following her father’s efforts, Ana attended 12 sessions with a psychiatrist in Calgary before returning to Vancouver. The psychiatrist also prescribed Ana unique “medication samples to offset drug costs.” She returned to Vancouver, but her condition only got worse, forcing her parents to rescue her once again. Ana’s father admitted her to a catholic group home for women with addictions and other life problems (Smith, 2014).

She was not getting better partly because she was skipping her medications as well as lack of follow-up by the mental health team, who presumed she would return to Vancouver soon based on Ana’s claims.

After eight months in the catholic home, Ana was admitted to a psych ward and discharged after 30 days but on an extended leave. Ana’s voluntary involvement with the schizophrenia Society of Alberta (SSA) led her to meet a mental health team and housing in Calgary. In turn, she found residence in a mental health apartment for close to eight months with others experiencing a similar condition. She was comfortable with her new home and described it as “nice to be somewhere I fit in” (Smith, 2014). The mental health team, however, stopped offering any assistance to Ana after realizing she was using cocaine.

By her own means, Ana was able to be discharged from the hospital and went to Vancouver. At the time, she was pregnant, and after a medical check-up, the baby was found to be okay, but Ana was placed in the St. Elizabeth shelter as she had nowhere to reside in Vancouver. She delivered her daughter back in Calgary but placed her for adoption after ascertaining the risks of raising the child with the mental illness she was going through.  It was not until her return back to Vancouver again that she was able to get better. She became self-empowered, living independently, and learned how to live with the voices in her head (Smith, 2014). Different supportive groups and mental health housing greatly elevated her situation, including training her in peer support work as well as hiring her.

Ana faced various barriers in accessing treatment and services for her condition. One is insufficient knowledge of mental illness as well as facilities and programs offering assistance on the same. As she claims, during her first return to Vancouver, “I’d never heard about mental health teams or that there was persons with disability income assistance, and I didn’t know anyone who had schizophrenia” (Smith, 2014). Another hindrance was the mental health service providers’ policies restricting drug users and pregnant women from accessing medication. In Ana’s case, she was put off medication for both reasons.

Ana’s father was really helpful in helping her navigate the system.  He found a local psychiatrist for her despite his little knowledge regarding mental illness. In addition, he also got her involved as a volunteer at SSA, which was a positive experience for Ana. St. Elizabeth’s mental health team also assisted Ana in navigating the system by placing her in an MPA society licensed care home where she received routine evaluations from a house worker.

Ana’s article shows that navigating the system to get aid in treating mental illness can be challenging, especially if the information is limited. Through Ana, we learn that persons facing mental ills have the desire to get treatment but lack accurate knowledge of available treatment programs and centers. Also, Ana shares the message of self-motivation and empowerment as drivers of successfully getting treatment for mental conditions in the health system.  The article shows the importance of availing information to the public regarding mental health illness as well as options for treating them. Creating awareness will enhance the knowledge surrounding mental health, resultantly allowing more people to reach out for help more willingly and courageously. Also, the article motivates one to research further on the impact of substance abuse and addiction to treating mental health conditions.