I would like to tell you about a group that has helped me create a life worth living.
The Holland Drop In Center was started in 1999 by a group of area consumers…adults with mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and the like) to provide a place for people to gather who had emotional or mental health issues. Supported by Ottawa County Mental Health, the Holland Drop in Center is a place that provides encouragement to individuals with mental illness to interact and participate while supporting each other in their personal mental health. We provide an atmosphere of calm, relaxing and non–judgmental acceptance. It is important for us as a consumer-run agency to have a safe, supportive, and productive environment so we can share our accomplishments and ideas to make recovery possible.
The Holland Drop in Center focuses on the beliefs that a person with a mental illness does not have to feel isolated from the community or society. Recovery is the belief that you have the right to live a successful and fulfilling life. The reason behind the idea of a consumer-run Center is that by working together and sharing experiences, consumers are able to best help each other. Because many individuals in the mental health system do not have the support of family and friends, their consumer peers play a big role in helping them put their lives back together. Because they share the same pain, they can offer each other support and real empathy. They can work together to find solutions and alleviate fear.
Check out the Health Ministry Bulletin Board this month for a calendar listing of the support groups and classes that are currently being offered.
The Holland Drop In Center is at 636 Hastings Ave., Ste 120.
~Jackie Knoll, Health Ministry Member