Blossoms In The Valley: Emerging from the depths of mental illness - Tapa blanda

Through 10 real-life stories, Blossoms In The Valley peels back the masks of mental illness to provide a closer glimpse of the persons behind the pain - so that their souls can be better appreciated. Journey along them and their love ones as they go through heart-wrenching experiences in the course of coping with their afflictions. Each story fleshes out important factors that can help loved ones as they battle seemingly unsurmountable challenges in recovery. However, breakthrough is possible when myths get dispelled and stigma is overcome! When new meaning in life is discovered, a better quality of life can be achieved. Covering all aspects of recovery - which includes Medical, Functional, Social, Existential and Spiritual aspects - the purpose of Blossoms In The Valley is to inspire hope and encourage those who find themselves in their dark valleys to persevere. No matter what illness one is facing, even those with severe mental illness can find renewed hope and purpose. For caregivers, the stories in this book are designed to shed some insights and hopefully, in the process, help to prevent compassion fatigue. Through the lens of each recovery story,it is the hope that each reader will also gain a more positive and balanced perspective of mental illness.

DR. THOMAS CHOY completed medical school at the University of Manitoba in 1970. After 17 years of family practice, he pursued his postgraduate training in Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and was certified as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCPC) in 1992. Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Choy has practised in adult psychiatry, sub-specializing in schizophrenia, and remained an active staff at the Scarborough Hospital until his retirement in June 2015. Dr. Choy has had extensive involvement in the Inpatient and Outpatient departments at the hospital and was the lead psychiatrist of the Assertive Community Treatment Team. He was also one of the founding members of the Living Water Counselling Center in Toronto and the China East Mental Health Team EMAS Canada (Education, Medical Aid Service Canada). As part of his spiritual pursuits, Dr. Choy obtained his Master of Arts in Biblical Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, where he graduated in 1986. Dr. Choy and his wife Jeanette have been married for 48 years. They have two children, Nicholas and Cindy, and six grandkids.