A5

By GARY KEAN
The Canadian Press

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CORNER BROOK, N.L. - When Herman Wilkins was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 18, there were hardly any community-based resources he and his family could turn to for help.

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The Canadian Press

LONG ROAD BEHIND HIM: Plenty has changed in Corner Brook since Herman Wilkins was diagnosed with a mental illness 50 years ago. These days, the mental illness caused by a genetic chemical imbalance in his brain still follows Wilkins around, but medications, support groups and maintaining a positive attitude have allowed him to lead a productive life.

That was about 50 years ago.

These days, the mental illness - caused by a genetic chemical imbalance in his brain - still follows Wilkins around, but medications, support groups and maintaining a positive attitude have allowed him to lead a productive life.

Upon being diagnosed as a teenager, Wilkins was given some now-outdated medications which were only designed as a temporary fix while he was in the hospital.

"I was actually in St. John's taking a course to become a drafting technician when I first took sick and had to be hospitalized for a couple of months," recalled the Corner Brook, N.L., native, who still resides in the west coast city.

"They gave me medications when I was first diagnosed, but they told me there was nothing else they could do for me after I was released from the hospital. They just told me to go home and try to live with it the best way you can."

Fortunately, Wilkins's illness went into remission and he was able to get back to school and live a normal life.

But the condition reared itself again in 1977, when Wilkins was 35, and he would spend another couple of months in the hospital. This time, there were more advanced medications available, but still precious little dedicated community-based resources to help him get through it.

"I did have a lot of support from my mom and dad and my wife," he said. "My wife didn't say, 'Oh, he's suffering from bipolar disorder, so I'm going to leave him now.' She stuck with me."

He and his family also got some help from both the Catholic church and the Salvation Army along the way.

These days, the 68-year-old retiree takes lithium, a drug which corrects the imbalance in his brain. It keeps the see-saw battle between the extremes of depression and mania - which can include hyperactivity, delusions and hallucinations - at bay.

He'll have to keep taking that drug, or some other medication if a better one comes along, for the rest of his life.

Even when he first got sick, Wilkins remained confident about his prospects of overcoming the challenges ahead of him. Not once did he entertain the idea of hurting himself or anyone else - thoughts which can pervade the mind of a clinically depressed individual.

"When I was in school and started getting sick, I always took it as more of a nuisance than anything else," he said. "My desire was always to get well - to get out of the hospital, back to school and doing the normal things I did from day to day before I was diagnosed."

By the time he fell ill again 17 years later, Wilkins was able to benefit from the support of his family, friends and co-workers.

"When it went into remission, I had the chance to establish myself, get a job and let people get to know me and accept me for who I was," he said. "When I got sick again, it was easier for them because they knew what I was before I was sick and knew my potential."

For the past 30 years, Wilkins has been working to promote better mental health services. He is the western Newfoundland director for the Consumers Health Awareness Network Newfoundland and Labrador, a provincial organization which aims to build and strengthen a self-help network among individuals living with mental health issues. He is also on the board of directors of the Community Mental Health Initiative (CMHI), a Corner Brook-based organization which promotes quality community mental health services in the western region.

One of the current undertakings of CMHI, which Wilkins is a strong advocate for, is an effort to build a home in Corner Brook where people with mental health issues can reside.

"I help the mentally ill as much as myself and that helps me," he said. "It gives me an outlet."

Nonetheless, the stigma so often attached to mental health issues continually needs debunking, said Wilkins.

"Some people have the understanding that we're all violent people who are going to commit some crime, but that's not true at all," he said. "That's just ignorance. All most people hear or see is what gets presented in the media about the people who do become violent, but those cases are a minority and that doesn't do our cause any good."

"I think if people came to some of our meetings, they would have a better understanding."

While most mentally ill people aren't going to commit a crime, Wilkins said mental illness is still a serious social issue that doesn't get enough attention.

"People are so taken up with their physical health, but I think, especially in North America and Canada, the big issue is mental health," he said.

"People aren't happy. They aren't as happy as some people in Third World countries. People here have everything they could want, but there are more divorces and things like that all the time."