My Story - printer version
Trish Miller

Hi! my name is Trish Miller I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar illness when I was nearly 15 and that is when I had my first nervous breakdown. I struggled with not sleeping well to too much sleeping, rapid mood swings from elation to depression, rapid speech, lack of emotional interest in life, goals and a career. I also heard voices, I felt paranoid in crowds, very wrestless at times and I felt very isolated and I lost all my friends at one point in my life. I only stayed out of school for 2 weeks. My grades started to fail and I had to change from academic courses to general courses. I am very thankful to a vice-principal who took me aside and told me that I needed to work harder to graduate. Thanks to his encouraging words I did graduate from Kelowna Senior Secondary School with the class of 1978.

I tried living on my own but had a nervous breakdown. I lived for 11 years in care homes. During those years I worked at many different jobs but I struggled and had many psychotic episodes.

In 1989 I moved to Penticton. In 1991 after loving being a volunteer at Trinity Center an Intermediate Care Facility. I went to college and graduated with high marks and received my Activity Aide certificate. My next step was moving out into my own apartment and then I got married and have been married for 8 years, to a wonderful man who is bipolar also. Due to illness we have been separated often but our strong love and faith in Jesus Christ keep us together. I worked as a janitor part time in a government office, then I built up my own clientele for house cleaning. Due to developing fybromyalgia I decided to train to become a Peer Support Worker. I was very successful at my very first job interview and I have been a Peer Support Worker for 2 years with the Penticton CMHA Branch.

As I grew up with Mental Illness my family has always been an awesome support to me. My parents always welcomed me home every weekend to give me love, encouragement and help me build a healthy self-esteem.

I have tried a couple of times going off my medications only to face mental illness at its worst.

Though all my trials and tribulations I have grasped onto hope and my faith in God has turned my life into a blessing. All my life I have done some form of volunteer work.

There is no greater achievement in life than to make someone smile or laugh, showing empathy and compassion to those in need of emotional support has always meant the world to me and my motto for a healthy recovery.

I'm finding that there is a lot of hope with the newer medications and with early intervention a healthier life is within ones grasp. To find what works for you as an individual is so important. Strive for better understanding of your illness, a good support team, good friends, making healthy eating choices, exercising, having fun, finding hobbies to do, getting involved in community volunteer work. All these things have helped me to be beyond a mental health survivor.

Ending my story I encourage everyone to strive for their dreams starting off with baby steps. My poetry and art work and a good sense of humour are all ways in which I express myself and I am excited with a positive attitude towards my future.

I have just finished the Community Futures Development Corporation Okanagan Similkameen Entrepreneur Assessment Program which helps consumers start up their own businesses as a team or to start up individual businesses on their own. My dreams are to help get off the ground future consumer run businesses and be involved with these businesses.

If life gives you Lemons, please help yourself and make Lemon-Aid!

Blessings
Trish Miller
Penticton, BC Canada

See Trish's watercolour "Unfolding the Darkness Discovering The Light" in our Art Section and her Poem "Jesus Will Carry Both You and Your Pain" in our Poetry Section.