“My mother was the most amazing person in the world. She was tons of fun, loved passionately and lived passionately, but she also had a very difficult life because she was a paranoid schizophrenic. Unfortunately, back then there were not a lot of good treatment options. I lived through all that, but I could still see the beauty in who my mom was. She couldn’t control her illness and I didn’t let her illness control me, but that didn’t mean it was easy. There were some very difficult times. If it hadn’t been for the people around me who cared about me, I wouldn’t be the person that I am now. Therefore, I want to give back what was given to me as a kid. I work with chronically mentally ill people on the weekends, some of whom are considered the most dangerous in society, but they're human beings who need to be seen as valuable. Yes, they have a debilitating illness, but there is still such beauty inside them. It takes people who are willing to connect with them, look for the good, and pull it out of them. I’m not going to say it’s always easy. But when you do, it’s so rewarding. You’ve encouraged them, and you're encouraged too.
“During the week I work as a middle school counselor, and I have students who come to my office for sanctuary because maybe they struggle with learning and they’re frustrated and angry. Or maybe they don’t feel respected because of what someone said to them, and their feelings are crushed. We’ll talk and put it back together and then we’ll get back in class and try to do something about it. I want to get them to the point where they can say, ‘You know, I wasn’t successful this morning, but I might be able to be successful this afternoon.’ I’ve seen great changes in kids who felt there was someone who believed in them.
“Mentally ill people feel the same way. They need someone who believes in them, someone willing to talk to them even through they’re angry or even a little bit dangerous, someone who will say hello and offer them water. If we say, ‘They’ll never change’, they probably won’t. But if we look for the good, we can offer them hope. I think that’s the most important thing we can give someone. My mom suffered from mental illness, but she was still a great human being who managed to raise two successful children. She was amazing. She was beautiful.”
“During the week I work as a middle school counselor, and I have students who come to my office for sanctuary because maybe they struggle with learning and they’re frustrated and angry. Or maybe they don’t feel respected because of what someone said to them, and their feelings are crushed. We’ll talk and put it back together and then we’ll get back in class and try to do something about it. I want to get them to the point where they can say, ‘You know, I wasn’t successful this morning, but I might be able to be successful this afternoon.’ I’ve seen great changes in kids who felt there was someone who believed in them.
“Mentally ill people feel the same way. They need someone who believes in them, someone willing to talk to them even through they’re angry or even a little bit dangerous, someone who will say hello and offer them water. If we say, ‘They’ll never change’, they probably won’t. But if we look for the good, we can offer them hope. I think that’s the most important thing we can give someone. My mom suffered from mental illness, but she was still a great human being who managed to raise two successful children. She was amazing. She was beautiful.”
Maude Bryeans, Middle School Counselor, Shelby County Schools
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