A person who has a mental illness can help care for others in the same condition. I read about one who abandoned his well-paid career, did a course and took on the position of a mental health counselor, working part time. What was so earth shattering about this? you might ask. Well, he gave the kind of care he wished he had received when he was taken to a psychiatric hospital. This ex-patient has recovered and is actually working as a peer specialist in a psychiatric company.
Peer care is encouraging mental health professionals to rethink treatment and actually inviting their patients to join in the process. They have been reminded that a mentally ill person is not all that different from them and somehow, it has changed their attitude and I find that rather encouraging, don’t you?
