One Man's Journey from Darkness into Light
There was a time when Paul Cooley had it all. After graduating from a prestigious east coast university, he married and landed a management job at a major corporation in Boston. He enjoyed a comfortable income and the lifestyle that came with it. "Life was good," says Paul. "The future looked bright." After a while, however, Paul knew he wanted to make a career change, and eventually he and a couple of business associates started their own company specializing in the restoration of historic buildings. Once again, success was his. In the mean time, he had divorced, remarried and had a son, "the love of my life," says Paul.
Gradually, though, Paul's life began to unravel. His business was all consuming and he was overwhelmed by community commitments. He began to self-medicate with alcohol and was repeatedly hospitalized. "I knew something was seriously wrong," says Paul, who was ultimately diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His world continued to spin out of control. Sometimes he couldn't sleep. Other times he couldn't get out of bed. He felt dismal and hopeless. He and his second wife divorced, he stopped working and he had virtually no income. "I went from being on top of the world to flat broke," he says. A childhood friend then convinced him to move to Chicago, but things went from bad to worse, and he wound up living in missions and on the streets. He even considered suicide.
After learning about the Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health and participating daily in the Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) program there, Paul began to see a glimmer of hope. The intensive therapeutic day program, led by highly trained mental health professionals, offers specialized programming to adults, like Paul, who are in the process of recovery from a mental illness or substance abuse issue. Clients have access to a comprehensive range of services including psychiatric evaluations, individual and group counseling, a host of activity and therapeutic groups, vocational assistance and opportunities to socialize and connect to community resources. "I jumped in with both feet and participated fully," says Paul.
He did so well that he was chosen last year to take part in a public supportive housing program the Center initiated in conjunction with Catholic Charities. Paul now lives in an apartment sponsored by the program. "It's a dream come true for me. It feels comfortable and real," says Paul who continues to attend the Psychosocial Rehabilitation program at the Center every day where he also facilitates a 12-step group and serves as a "buddy" for new clients.
He credits his case manager and the PSR team at the Center for much of his success. "The people there are like family, and they treat you with such compassion, dignity and respect. I've never really had an experience like this before. It may have even saved my life."
