MHMRA of Harris County - Annual Report Fiscal 2013-2014 | Page 14

The “Puzzle Man”

H

arper has struggled with an alcohol
addiction since his late 20s. But,
it was not until after his first suicide
attempt years later, that he had his first
contact with mental health care at the
NeuroPsychiatric Center (NPC) in 2000.
He was hospitalized five days and was
informed that his diagnosis was severe
depression. Harper did not give this much
importance at the time, but he knew he
had a problem with alcohol, so he decided
to attend Alcoholic Anonymous (AA)
meetings. He skipped all the followup mental health appointments he was
referred to upon release from the NPC.
After successful completion of the AA
program, Harper’s path begin to blossom
before his eyes: He had a home, a loving
family and a job he enjoyed as a salesman.
As he experienced more and more success
at work, though, he was drawn to old
habits. Little by little he found himself
consumed by alcohol once again. He tried
to keep it hidden from his family, but
the extremely high performance peaks
contrasted the utterly low periods of
depression, and made it evident that he
has mental illness.
In spite of this, Harper did not recognize
that he was in fact depressed. When his
symptoms began to affect his productivity
at work, he coped by drinking alcohol. The
cycle only worsened, until one day, he lost
his job. Consequently, his family lost their
two cars and their home.
One night in 2013, Harper felt worthless.
After drinking a six pack of beer, he
decided he was going to end his life. Had
it not been for his son who pulled him
from the edge of a bridge, the outcome
would have been very tragic. After having
a conversation with his son, Harper
realized he could not continue like that,
and decided to go to the NPC. On his way
there he was arrested and charged with a
DWI, but after bailing himself out of jail,
he voluntarily asked the NPC personnel to
take him in.
This time at the NPC, Harper realized he
needed help. The fact that he felt cared for
by the staff and his case managers, helped

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him decide to commit to his recovery. After
undergoing detox treatment, Harper was
referred, first to the CRU and, from there,
to MHMRA’s Co-Occurring program, a
treatment designed to help individuals
with a dual diagnosis of substance abuse
and mental illness.
During his treatment, Harper learned
about his “triggers” and the mental illness
he has. He came to the conclusion that he
could not afford to go through another
breakdown. Co-Occurring staff referred
Harper to Bay Area Rehabilitation Center,
where he spent the first 90 days of his
journey toward recovery.
Even though he felt like he had lost all he
could lose, Harper completed the program
successfully, and continued coming back
to the CRU after graduating from the
program. As an alumni, he was allowed to
come back to participate in therapy classes
and look for employment. He was also
able to share with other individuals who
were currently undergoing the treatment
he had completed. He became known
as “the puzzle man”, as he would spend
time solving puzzles in the common
area of the center, where other residents
began sharing about their struggles and
experiences with him.
It was at this point when Harper realized
that this was a passion for him: helping
others who were going through the
difficult first steps towards recovery. The

staff at the CRU also noticed this, and
offered him a job there as a Peer Navigator.
In November of 2014 he joined the staff
team.
What Harper loves most about his job as
a Peer Navigator is that he is able to invest
in the lives of others while they are going
through this stage, and speak with them
from his own experience.
“When they come into the program they
seem so lifeless, like a dead flower,” Harper
said. “Because I have been through the
program, I am able to connect with them
and ease their fears and concerns. I know
exactly what they are going through. I
know what it’s like to have substance abuse
and not have an idea of what tomorrow
will be like now that you feel like you’ve
lost everything.”
For a person who has a dual diagnosis
of substance abuse and mental illness,
treating both conditions at the same time
is critical. Treating one without working to
manage the other increases the likelihood
of relapse and deterioration.
Harper is a great example about the light
at the end of the tunnel people with cooccurring disorders can experience with
the right treatment and care. Now he
enjoys “lighting a spark of life” in others.
“If they know they can pick up the pieces
and continue, that one spark of hope can
create more sparks,” Harper says.