Michigan Minds is a resource hub for teens and young adults experiencing changes in thinking, emotions, and sensory perceptions such as hearing or seeing things that others don’t (also known as psychosis). Although these experiences can feel unusual, they’re not uncommon. And with the right kind of support, it gets better.
Michigan’s specialty care teams, called NAVIGATE and ACT Early, are available to support Michiganders ages 15-30, regardless of insurance or ability to pay.
We believe that every person facing a mental health challenge can access inner strength and wellbeing, so we created Michigan Minds to offer space where we could do just that – connect, learn and draw inspiration from one another.
Visit michiganminds.org to learn more about mental health, take a self-check questionnaire, and get connected to a team near you.
Transcript:
BEN: Getting better it really can be like night and day, because I was thinking like I’m just going to live a bad life until it ends. I think part of it came from a place of loneliness and you know it’s so much better now. I really do appreciate the team here and navigate for that.
BEN: Before I had started here at navigate there were days when I was like, “you just are going to live a miserable life the rest of your life and you’re not going to have a positive future.” I had an initial psychotic episode. I’d been at a hospital and there things are being prescribed to you and you’re being told to do things. It can feel very isolating. My parents help me get connected with the navigate program here. Meeting with the prescriber for the first time it’s definitely more than just writing your script. With Dr Johnson it’s like how are you actually doing and what are things that you’re struggling with.
DR. JONSSON: I really want to get the full picture of who you are as a person and also what your goals are. You might not be ready or comfortable with starting a medication. I’m here to provide recommendations, go over the options, talk about the pros and cons and then we can work together to find the right balance between effective symptom management, along with minimizing any potential side effects to the medications that I prescribe.
BEN: I talked with my prescriber to come to these decisions and it feels good to have a dialogue about it. I was being trusted and I was being believed.
DR. JONSSON: Treating psychosis is much more more than utilizing medications. One of the benefits of this navigate program is all the supports that we have in the team based approach, that leads to really positive outcomes.