Blake, at the head of the table, captivating the audience
Blake Daughtry, a former Caramore client and now employee and Peer, spoke to a NAMI Family-to-Family Program last night.
Blake offered a very personal and experienced account of the potential for recovery.
Blake first experienced symptoms in 2002. Neither he nor his family knew what to make of his bizarre and erratic behavior which culminated in drugs, rehab, jail, and suicide attempts.
In January of 2006 he entered Cherry Hospital and stayed for 8 months. During this period he eventually came to a place where he realized he was hearing voices and that he was sick—he was open to receiving help. Eventually his medication was perfected and he gained some mental stability. He worked on controlling himself and his thoughts—learning to understand the new mental processes that the illness brought and how to function with it.
From the hospital he was released to Caramore which offered him more time to continue his rehabilitation in a structured environment committed to seeing him get better.
Blake credits Caramore with furthering his own goals—attaining friends, an apartment, a job (working at Caramore), educating others on recovery, and starting college classes.
Blake’s message was simple—admit that you need some help from others, take your meds, and pursue your goals, because there’s no reason you can’t achieve them.
D.Cooley
