Tod McDade: A Man With Insight & a System Without It
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Hi Val. I will give you my brief "recovery" history and a short accounting of my incident with the ill equipped Canon city ER regarding mental health, and my eventual contact with the Canon City PD.
2003 Approximately in the year 2003 I began questioning my emotional-mental state. After seeking out many different therapist and doctors by 2005 I had been diagnosed Bipolar. During this time I had developed the co morbid conditions of addiction and mental disorders. With a strong feeling I first had a mental health issue before I had a drug problem I refused 30 treatment for addiction, none of which in Oklahoma would allow me too take my psych. med school anyway. 2008 As a contractor I had the benefits of making my schedule and an above average income, by 2008 I had lost most of my business and was essentially homeless. By early 2008 I cleaned up enough too take a job with an outfit that involved extensive nationwide travel with great pay. Within 4 months I had lost that job and was stranded in Las Vegas. My sister found a dual diagnosis residential rehabilitation center in Portland Oregon. After 4 months in residential I was released into temporary housing. With another 9 months of outpatient services focused on my mental health I earned my permanent housing. Within a year I began my first year of college. All of this was not without its trials. I was not insured during this whole time, so as a result I also had fewer choices of doctors and prescriptions and had many set backs from med changes. I had just dropped a semester due too a negative impact from trying Adderall and made the choice too move. The timing would never be just right. 2011 By 2011 I had met whom is now my wife on a trip back to Oklahoma to see my parents. I eventually made the choice to move to Colorado in Canon city in March of 2013. 2013 I left Portland with 2 month supply of Gabapentin for my psych med alone. Receiving my med school from native American health again my choices were limited in Colorado. In Portland, my life was very compartmentalized. I lived in subsidized housing, I received food assistance, I received reduced rate public transportation passes and I had began going to school and had a small amount of money for living. I also had a core unit of doctors and therapist. I volunteered at multiple social services outreach programs. I had also just completed a Peer Support Specialist training program. I had made much improved progress in my life since becoming a homeless, drug addicted male suffering from a mental illness, throughout all of this I had gained an additional 60 pounds while on psych med school and was being hospitalized literally every 90 days for pancreatitis. I had built-up well over a quarter of a million dollars in bills, fortunately the hospital offered me an indigent persons charity and waived the bills I was aware of at the time. |
Tod McDade
I left Portland with 2 month supply of Gabbapentin for my psych med alone. Receiving my med school from native American health again my choices were limited in Colorado. In Portland, my life was very compartmentalized. I lived in subsidized housing, I received food assistance, I received reduced rate public transportation passes and I had began going to school and had a small amount of money for living. I also had a core unit of doctors and therapist. I volunteered at multiple social services outreach programs. I had also just completed a Peer Support Specialist training program. I had made much improved progress in my life since becoming a homeless, drug addicted male suffering from a mental illness. Throughout all of this I had gained an additional 60 pounds while on psych med school and was being hospitalized literally every 90 days for pancreatitis. I had built-up well over a quarter of a million dollars in bills, fortunately the hospital offered me an indigent persons charity and waived the bills I was aware of at the time. anything. Not hiring an attorney was the worst decision ever for me, I feel as if I am being treated as a criminal for my illness. Since I have had a great relationship with my new psychiatrist, with many new med combinations, but have found one th at is working well. I also have a great relationship with my probation officer and as of this writing have 1 meeting left. I have had several opportunities and interviewed for multiple Peer Support Specialist positions in Colorado and because of my charges was not accepted for the best opportunity for me in a long, long time. I carried a lot of animosity towards the hospital and myself for my choice of not hiring an attorney. I accept my illness as I am, the unintended consequences can be difficult. I now have better perspective on this and see how better self care could have possibly have prevented all of this, but even with complete diligence, with us, those living with mental disorders, can have flare ups unforeseen and should not pay unnecessary emotional, physical or financial harms for this. The choices made and not made within that ER set in motion consequences that will impact my life for an indefinite amount of time. What should be protocol medically and should of happened, what could of happened that night at the ER is truly fundamental and easily done? Why isn't it being done? Why are jails near first choice for medical supervision of mental health CRISIS? Truly, Tod McDade |