BCHS Acute Day Program teaches skills to cope with depression

Joanne Merritt always believed she could self-manage her depression, until the day she tried to take her own life.

A frantic rush to the Brantford General Emergency Department (ED) not only saved Joanne’s life, it also set the wheels in motion that would help her on a new path where a brighter light was waiting at the end of her long, dark tunnel.

“I’ve suffered from depression most of my life, but had never attempted suicide before,” Joanne noted. “I came to the hospital for help and the people here were amazing.”

Joanne spent a day in the ED prior to being transferred to the Mental Health inpatient unit.

“I was discharged pretty quickly but when I went back to work I realized that I was probably still in trouble,” she recalled.

“I phoned Brantford General psychiatrist Dr. Olejarova probably five times in one day and she said ‘you need to come in here.’”

Dr. Emilia Olejarova informed Joanne of the hospital’s Acute Day Treatment (ADT) Program that teaches healthy coping skills so individuals can better manage life situations. The program is run by social workers, recreational therapists and occupational therapists with Dr. Poonam Sharma as a consulting psychiatrist.

“I was a little resistant because it was a six-week program, but I thought: ‘I’ll do anything not to feel this way,’” Joanne said.

The Mental Health Acute Day Program is held Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for outpatients.

“There’s a calendar that they give you at the beginning of the program and it tells you what you are going to be doing each day,” Joanne explained. “I was involved in all of the sessions and it was really well structured.”

Patients “check-in” to the program by writing down how they are feeling that day, what they did the night before for their wellness and what they plan to do for their wellness that evening.

“It keeps you in check,” Joanne said. “You had to have a goal each day; something positive to accomplish for your personal welfare.”

Feedback is given by program facilitators as well as other patients also involved in the program.

“I felt it was a very safe group to talk in,” Joanne said. “There would be accountability within the group because we cared about each other. You share very intimate details – you share your life.”

While some patients prefer to listen rather than talk, Joanne spoke freely.

“I decided when I took the program that I was so fortunate to be able to spend six weeks on myself that I was going to take full advantage of every second. How many people get to do that?” said Joanne. “It’s such a great release because you know that there are 10 other people in the room that feel the same way, you’re definitely not alone and maybe something you say can make a difference to someone else.”

Though the sessions could be emotionally draining, releasing pent-up feelings Joanne was never able to share with anyone else was cathartic.

“In the long run it was a good exhaustion. You cried it out. There were some breakthroughs that I had that changed my life,” Joanne said.

“Every day I went into that classroom I felt like a nice warm blanket was being wrapped around me because everybody in that room, even though we didn’t really know each other, was more than family. We knew we wouldn’t be judged; that the other person would understand.”

Although she was anxious about returning to work, Joanne was able to alleviate her anxiety by using the tools she learned in the Acute Day Program.

Coping mechanisms such as deep breathing, walking away from a situation or asking to be excused are working well for Joanne.

“I still have depression, but I can cope with it far better now than I have ever coped with it before,” she said.

Joanne stressed the importance of talking openly about mental health issues.

“It’s no different than having diabetes or a heart problem…it’s a medical condition and I suffer from it,” she said. “But you don’t physically appear sick, and that’s part of the stigma.”

Joanne knows she isn’t cured of depression, but she now feels better equipped with the tools necessary to manage it.

“Hopefully I won’t get into the position I got into before,” Joanne said. “The program gave me a toolbox; a toolbox of skills. It really was life changing for me. I don’t want to lose my life, I have so much to live for.”

The ADT Program saw about 180 patients in the past year. Many, like Joanne, found the program to be a life-changing experience.

As Joanne Merritt knows first-hand, when a health crisis or emergency affects you or a loved one, Brant Community Healthcare System is here to provide exceptional, professional and compassionate care in your time of need.

Behind each success of the Brant Community Healthcare System (BCHS) Foundation is the generosity of our community, our donors and volunteers. This continued commitment has enabled us to put our patients first by helping us to provide the right equipment, at the right time, when it matters most.

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