Beryle Garvin

Meet Beryle Garvin. Beryle is a vibrant 74-year-old woman from Brockville, Ontario who has sustained a healthy marriage and raised 3 wonderful children.  She has just entered the “computer world” and enjoys learning how to navigate the internet.  As a child, Beryle experienced stigma and discrimination as her father suffered from a serious mental illness, and eventually took his own life. In early adulthood, Beryle experienced her first depression, and has battled countless depressive episodes throughout her adult life. During her frequent periods of disability, Beryle struggled to raise her three children and maintain as “normal” an existence as possible with the help of her caring husband, but her illness necessitated frequent hospitalization. Beryle now feels that she is a participant in her own mental health care because public education about mental illness is more available, which provides her with a better understanding of her illness as well as treatment options. Her stabilization has been maintained by the involvement of a multi-disciplinary geriatric mental health community team, whom she credits with instilling a sense of hope when she could not create it herself.  In addition, media efforts to de-stigmatize mental illnesses and ageism have helped Beryle feel less shame in her illness.  Beryle is an advocate for seniors living with mental illnesses, and wants to be a spokesperson in hopes that she will inspire other seniors with mental illnesses to seek help, and know that they too, have support. Recovery is Possible.