The winds are blowing and the temperature is dropping but the memories of the summer sun are still strong in the hearts of countless families. Summer is the season for vacations, a time of couples and families to bond together. But if one spouse is challenged by mental illness, vacation becomes an impossibility.
Ironically, it is these couples, whose bonds have become frayed due to the emotional pressure of dealing with mental health issues that need that vacation the most.
The Ezer Mizion Mental Health Department works all year round to provide support and assistance to the mentally challenged and their families. Summer vacations for couples are just one part of a many faceted program. The break not only helps to reduce the strain on relationships but also enables them to better cope with the stigma that pervades every facet of their lives.
On vacation, they meet a ‘group of equals’ with whom it is easy to connect. They are able to share their deepest feelings and establish long-lasting close friendships. As they become part of their new social circle, they find they are better able to accept themselves which, on turn, leads to a lessening of the stigma when relating to the general society.
Seventy couples participated this year. In the words of one participant:
“We are not new to coping, but we are new to agreeing to receive help and I feel that after the vacation, we are new people. When we return home, we will think less about who sees us, who looks at us and what people think of us. We went through a process at this resort that I don’t think we could have gone through any other way.”
Upon arriving at the hotel, another woman discovered that one of the counselors lived in their neighborhood, in fact, in the same building. Her first reaction was an overwhelming fear and desire to return home so that the neighbor would not find out that her husband was struggling. A conversation with one of the staff members of the mental health department changed her perspective. She remained and was so happy she did.
Another wife commented in wonder: “I can’t remember the last time I saw a smile on my husband’s face.”
With guidance by caring professionals, the lives of many undergo drastic changes and the participants emerge better able to cope with what is truly an overwhelming challenge.
Ezer Mizion in Israel offers a variety of psychological support services and rehabilitative programs for people suffering from psychological disorders, emotional issues and mental illnesses. These services include a network of psychiatrists and psychologists,a big brother-sister program pairing individuals with trained mentors, a 24-hour crisis hotline to address suicide attempts or severe manic episodes and rehabilitative employment centers providing mentally handicapped people with basic vocational training and employment and easing their integration into free market employment.
After October 7th, Ezer Mizion expanded the Mental Health Division to include issues relating to the traumas of the war and has been a lifeline for those who experienced what no human being should ever experience.
