Time to Talk Day: Jean's Bothy member shares schizophrenia story

Having been diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age 20, the Cardross resident has been dealing with condition for almost his entire adult life.

Over the past few years, he has found new a support network at a Helensburgh community hub which focuses on the mental health and wellbeing of residents.

Graham’s participation at Jean’s Bothy, which is run by Enable Scotland, comes after a lifetime of ups and downs while being treated through statutory mental health services.

He was initially attached to services in Edinburgh, where he previously lived, before moving to the Highlands where he was supported by the community mental health team.

During these periods, he was sectioned and found himself in hospital on several occasions.

After his first marriage broke down, he was hospitalised once more and went through compulsory treatment in the community.

Later in life, Graham remarried and moved to Cardross to live with wife Wendy.

Having struggled to make friends following his move, the local mental health team recommended Jean’s Bothy.

Graham was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 20 (Image: Newsquest)

Graham admits that despite appearing “articulate and confident”, he often struggled to integrate himself in new environments – and such was the case when he first attended Jean’s Bothy.

He said: “I was made very welcome, everyone went out their way, but I just didn’t feel like speaking to them.

“I would sit on the outside of meetings – I’d go in for five minutes and just not participate.

“Then lockdown happened, everything went online, and I played even less of a part.

“In the first lockdown, I went out with my family one day and when I came back, someone had put a parcel on my doorstep.

“It turned out to be coffee, biscuits, and chocolates from Jean’s Bothy.

“It made me want to cry because it was so kind. It’s funny that such a small gesture like that gave me the confidence to realise I was welcome there.

“Since then, I can still be a bit quiet, but I go to lots of things. I feel confident walking through the door and I feel a smile on my face. It’s a place where I can be me.”

Graham started off by attending the hub’s photography group, and now joins in with creative writing classes and the book club.

Attending the different activities and meeting new people has helped to boost Graham’s confidence – and he says it’s something which should be available to people everywhere.

He added: “It's quite hard having a diagnosis of schizophrenia where people don’t really know how to react to it.

"Here I am, at Jean’s Bothy, being accepted for being Graham. It means I can laugh, and I can giggle, and I can make jokes – and that’s lovely.”

Having spent 40 years living with schizophrenia, Graham knows the difficulties dealing with such a condition can bring to day-to-day life.

This Time to Talk Day, he’s encouraging others who are struggling to try speaking to someone they trust.

Graham said: “I meet many people who when they first develop mental health problems are pretty terrified.

“Often they lost their jobs, a lot of their contacts, and the society that they are a part of.

“That can be terrible and they can worry that life will never be the same again and that they’ll never be happy again.

“I would never go as far as to say you will completely get better, but I would say that I have had what’s known as a very serious mental illness for 40 years and I am happier now in my 60s than I have ever been in my life. It doesn’t have to be awful.

“I’ve met a lot of people who when they experience terrible distress think that they are failures and I’d like them to know they’re not.

“There are so many ways of contributing and having value, but some of us forget that we are valuable.”