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I am working full-time as the librarian for the New York State Psychiatric Institute’ Patient and Family Library, putting my Masters of Library Science degree to good use. I'm doing well for someone in his mid thirties who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia as a teen. I credit a lot of my recovery to the fact that I work closely with my psychiatrists, and I keep a close watch on my symptoms. That way, if I feel I need to be hospitalized, I just do it. If I need to adjust my meds, I do it while letting my psychiatrist know. She usually agrees with my decisions, and I follow her guidance. I've got a team effort going.
At the Patient and Family Library, we focus on “psychoeducation” of people who are dealing with a mental illness. Psychoeducation is a form of mental health treatment that includes elements of illness-education and group psychotherapy. I appreciate the care that I get more because I can now see the mental health professional side of things more clearly, and I'm committed to my ongoing recovery.
Psychoeducational materials in our library include books, pamphlets, videos, periodicals, and Internet resources. Our target customers are the psychiatric patients, family members, or people who care for others who have mental illnesses. The library is especially useful for patients who recently had their "first break" of mental illness and are still orienting themselves to the realities of having serious mental disorders. The social work interns reach out to these patients with videos from the library's collection to lead groups that spark insight and understanding. Making it out of the hospital and back into the community is aided by the insight that the patients get from library materials.
Insight is the single most important factor that has helped me to deal with my illness. Fifty percent of people with schizophrenia do not realize that there is anything wrong. I encourage people to get the medical and social treatments they need to lead their lives to the fullest.
The Patient and Family Library website has links of value to New Yorkers with mental health issues. They can get free education, legal help, vocational guidance and much more. The website is http://nyspi.org/Kolb/nyspi_pf_library/spanish_index.html or call (212) 543-6713 for more information.