Personal perspective of an Asian immigrant to New Zealand
People often say this to me:”it is not easy to find a job in New Zealand and it is harder especially if you experience mental illness”.
Certainly, this is a stereotypical view about the work opportunities for people who experience mental illness. I have experience of mental illness and yet I am currently working in a mental health organisation. My job is to counter stigma and discrimination associated with people who experience mental illness in Chinese communities.
I think it is ironic that the reason I could get into to this field and gain employment was due to my personal experience of mental illness.
Hope and dreams of a better life
In 2001, I came to New Zealand with high hopes and dreams. Like most immigrants, I was excited about the beauty of New Zealand, the friendly people and the great environment in which to pursue my study.
But my study proved stressful and I was lonely, so much so that I began to experience mental distress before completing my studies. I remember my family noticed something different about me when I called back home. They advised me to go home to see a doctor, and, to their surprise, I was diagnosed with severe mental illness.
I think, if you also come from the same culture as mine where mental health issues are not understood, you might understand how hard this was for my family. I remember when they heard the news they were devastated.
They thought all my hopes and dreams of a new life in New Zealand had been scuttled - I remember my father said “this is the end of my life”.
Sister was caring and strong
I am very fortunate to have a loving and caring sister. She is a very optimistic person.
I still don’t know where she got her strength from and how she believed I would recover. But she was right and after two months of treatment in hospital I slowly recovered.
She was there for me right from the beginning of my experience with mental illness.
I still find it hard to concentrate due to the side effect of medication, but she knows I enjoy learning and encourages me to study English when I am resting at home. She hopes by doing this it will help me to work towards my graduation.
My sister believes the country where I am originally from did not have the environment nor the effective systems to help someone who experiences mental illness. As a result she also encouraged me to go back to New Zealand. This was a hard decision for her and my family but she believed it would be good for me in the future.
New Zealand health system enables recovery
She was right again - the mental health system and services are more effective and friendly here. New Zealand provides a comprehensives system that helps and supports people with community treatments, work and income and housing.
This support enables me to focus on my wellness and recovery.
I have had lots of help and support from psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker and nurses - without their support this I could not have recovered.
Friends can make all the difference
There is also one person that I owe much gratitude - I believe mental health promoter Ivan Yeo is my angel. He is also my friend and he made it possible for us to work together.
We met back few years ago, at that time he worked for Mind and Body Consultant Ltd, which is run by people who experience mental illness. Its aim is to use personal experience of mental illness to support personal recovery.
When I first met Ivan, the first thing he said to me had a lasting impact on me. He said:
“I notice that you know how to take care of yourself. It makes me realize that although I experience mental illness I know that knowing how to support myself is important. The doctor cannot be with me every day, neither can any of the other mental health professionals, to remind me how I should look after myself.”
After that, he worked with me and supported me to learn about my potential and how I can best recover from my experience of mental illness.
I did a Wellness Recovery Action Plan and used it accordingly. I went back to university and continued my post-graduate study.
Relapses can challenge us – but don’t give up!
The journey of recovery is not a smooth one. I almost relapsed when the psychiatrist decided to reduce my medication dosage.
Some challenges begin to re-surface: I would call my sister every day and found it hard to sleep well at night. My sister always believed that I would recover and she knew I would better. And I did, when the psychiatrist decided to readjust my dosage. At that time I moved to the North Shore and received support from Waitemata DHB’s Asian Mental Health Cultural Support and Coordination Services.
Each relapse has taught me a new lesson about my experience of mental illness. It is a process which helps me better understand my experience.
Waitemata mental health services are very supportive
The Asian mental health support worker helped me to develop a new WRAP plan. This time I was even more determined to get better.
I now take some time each day to go through the plan, and take it seriously to implement my recovery.
I have also begun to attend Sunday church and am actively involved in many activities. And I have started to do some voluntary work and find it meaningful and good for my wellness. These things have made me find my self-worth as a member of society.
Like Minds, Like Mine has taught me a lot
Through support from Ivan, I was able to get involved in Like Minds, Like Mine activities. We work together to counter stigma and discrimination in the Chinese community for people who experience mental illness. I learned a lot through the work of LMLM because my personal experience of mental illness and, after some time, I was able to gain full employment with the team at the Mental Health Foundation.
Hope guides me through my journey
I really enjoy the work that I am doing, and I enjoy respect from everyone. When I reflect on my journey, I feel it was hope that guided me through. Hope taught me I can do it and having this belief has changed my life for a better one.
My sister played a large part in my recovery. Because of her, I know I need to have the attitude of not giving up on myself.
Slowly, I begin to believe it is possible and I’m taking one step at the time.
