Douglas Stories and Drawings celebrate the institution's 125th anniversary

As president of the Douglas Hospital Auxiliary, Mary Campbell first came to the Douglas to seek help for her husband, who was suffering from brain damage following a car accident. Years later, when her husband died, Mary stayed on to volunteer.

"Twelve years ago, we were conducting a study to examine the long-term effectiveness of our Lyall day-treatment program for children with severe disruptive behaviour disorders. We were also asked to meet with the ex-patients to try and get an understanding of how they were doing. I remember one boy who was very angry and disruptive when he first came to us. He had been expelled from numerous schools and had been placed in many different group homes.

"I was treated for bipolar depression at the Douglas and discharged in 1998. Since then, I have only been treated on an out-patient basis. I am thankful to God for good family, friends, and caregivers. I will be forever grateful to the staff, Auxiliary, volunteers, board members and donors for the care and services they provide. I am not ashamed of being mentally ill. I feel I was dealt a bad hand in the cards of life, but I play it carefully. Who knows, with the help that God and the Douglas Hospital have given me, I might even win this game."

The book offers 125 stories of hope and encouragement for people suffering from mental illness, but as a final glimpse into this world, I chose to end with a few words by Dr. Camillo Zacchia, who discusses the prejudice that still exists.

"The Douglas Hospital, as it is known now, was built at a time when mentally ill people were sent away to asylums. (…) It is a testament to the advances in treatment, that we no longer lobotomize people, induce insulin comas, or keep them in straight jackets. Yet for all these improvements, we still struggle with the asylum mentality. (…) We've come a long way, but until we can accept and support the mentally ill as we would those suffering from any other disease, we still have a long way to go."

This book has the power to teach and touch people, like only true and personal accounts can. Those interested in acquiring a copy of @125 Douglas Stories and Drawings", can log on to: www.douglas.qc.ca