Hugh's Story

My name is Hugh Cameron. I came to Canada as a landed immigrant in 1975 from Glasgow, Scotland. I was 23 and had served 5 years in the British military attached to the UN peacekeeping forces serving in Cyprus, Germany, the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Belfast Northern Ireland. I was in the ground forces, defense forces.

After leaving the military, I was sponsored by my sister to come to Canada. My mother joined us three months later. I found work in the auto parts industry working at car dealerships in auto parts sales working with service technicians and customers for eight years. I started feeling detached from the world around me and had no interests. I withdrew and shut myself off from everything, even my family. I lost my job and eventually I lost my apartment and had to move in with my sister for a short period of time. I didn't seek professional help. I think Iwas in denial.

After two years I started to feel better and I then got work in the electronics service industry working again with service technicians and dealer technical support for another eight years. I left the electronics industry in 1995, again due to a major bout of depression and finally went to my family doctor. He initially diagnosed me with depression and was treating me with medication. He then realized that I needed treatment at a psychiatric facility with greater expertise in treating mental illness and referred me to the Adult Mental Health Clinic at North York General Hospital. It was there that I was evaluated and tested and was diagnosed with bipolar mood disorder or manic depression. They prescribed different medications and continued to treat me on an out-patient basis.

I went through intensive rehabilitation therapy programs for 15 months and was referred by the occupational therapist to Work On Track at Seneca College. It is a course that aids individuals to regain their confidence in work skills. I did work placements through the course at Goodwill Creative Services and Canadian Hearing Society and completed the course in February 1997. These courses helped me but I really didn't have enough confidence to go out and look for work.

At the same time, the staff at North York General also referred me to supportive housing as I had been living with my mother but had to move out due to her serious illness. Habitat Services found me a place in a boarding home in the Dundas and Sherbourne area of Toronto. I lived there for two years. I had a room and they provided the meals and social recreation supports were provided by COTA.

I re-applied to Houselink Community Homes, and was given referrals to three locations and eventually I was accepted at Harbord Street Mews where I lived in a shared co-op for seven and an half years. It was a five-bedroom unit with shared common areas and we did our own cooking.

After this time I was eligible for a self-contained unit and had been on the waiting list for five years when a new building opened on Coxwell Avenue. I was informed about this by the intake coordinator and was asked if I would like to move in. I was really pleased to be given this opportunity and I moved there in April 2005. I now have my own one bedroom apartment with my own kitchen so I can do my own cooking. I have my own place and it feels pretty good.

There are flexible supports available from my worker at this building who keeps in contact with me and helps whenever I need to talk to him. I am now involved in the Houselink member employment program and do various jobs around the building for which I am paid.

I am maintained on medication and see my psychiatrist every three months. I have had no admissions to hospital. I know that without supportive housing I would either be in hospital or on the street.