{"id":4421,"date":"2022-08-23T13:17:37","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T18:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fondationdouglas.qc.ca\/?p=4421"},"modified":"2022-08-23T13:23:38","modified_gmt":"2022-08-23T18:23:38","slug":"i-thought-i-was-invincible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fondationdouglas.qc.ca\/en\/news\/i-thought-i-was-invincible\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI thought I was invincible.\u201d\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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That\u2019s what Martin thought about himself into his early adulthood, before he received a bipolar disorder diagnosis. Until then, mental illness wasn\u2019t something he thought about.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\u201cI felt like it didn’t concern me,\u201d he notes, \u201cbecause I was young and strong. I thought it only happened to elderly people or people who took really hard drugs. I didn’t think it could happen to me.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Major life changes or transitions are often catalysts for symptoms of a mental illness<\/a> to develop. After moving to Montreal, Martin was on his own and felt like he had lost his bearings. During one night in particular, he recalls, \u201cI was texting all my friends and I seemed like I wanted to disappear or even commit suicide.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, Martin\u2019s friends recognized that he wasn\u2019t being his usual, carefree self. One of those friends checked up on Martin and decided he needed more help than a friend alone could provide. \u201cHe thought it best to call the police and let them handle it. The police picked me up and brought me here to the intensive care at the Douglas<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The ending of Martin\u2019s moment of crisis also marked the start of his healing journey. After receiving his bipolar disorder diagnosis, Martin gained the tools to manage his illness and the humility to accept help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI now know I have to live with a certain fragility that is going to follow me for the rest of my life,\u201d Martin notes. \u201cI know I\u2019m not the same as I was before, and I don\u2019t feel as invincible as I did before…I\u2019m constantly reminded that I\u2019m just a human being and that life is fragile.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Martin\u2019s story<\/a> is unique, but his experience is not unlike that of many other patients at the Douglas. Each patient\u2019s story highlights the courage it takes to accept help, and builds hope for others who may feel alone or isolated by a mental illness. At the Douglas, we are developing new and effective early intervention treatments and constantly working to break down the stigmas that surround mental illness. No one is invincible; yet through our efforts, no one with a mental illness has to remain invisible.<\/span><\/p>\n

To watch Martin’s video testimonial, click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t09.<\/span>04.<\/span>2026\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPartnership – Initiative\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tManulife Canada invests $1M in research to prevent dementia before its first signs appear\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks to a major commitment from Manulife Canada, the Fondation Douglas is advancing a first in Quebec: a clinic dedicated to personalized dementia prevention, helping people act earlier and transform cognitive health trajectories. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t