ROBERT
I was born in Jacksonville, Florida, but I kind of grew up all over the place. Let me put it this way; I went to three different high schools, in three different states. I ended up graduating in Greenville, Mississippi. I have one older sister and she’s up in North Carolina right now.

I was in the Navy. In the Navy, when you’re assigned to a ship, you go everywhere. I’ve been all over the Mediterranean. I’ve been on the Western Hemisphere. I’ve been to Australia, and I was stationed in Japan for two years. So I’ve probably seen more than most people because of my occupation.

I first saw a psychiatrist at the beginning of 2002. That’s when things just got to be too much for me, and I shot myself. They said I had schizoaffective disorder—the depressed type. From there it was a rough time for quite a while. I was in and out of hospitals. When I was in the hospital, I lost a lot of weight because I was really, really depressed. I wouldn’t eat anything. There were people that helped. Of course, I gradually got better and was able to leave. I’ve managed to stay out of the hospital for about two years now, but I’m still under the care of a psychiatrist and I think I will be for quite a while.

I was putting a real big strain on my family since I was in and out of hospitals so much. So living at the Mayflower came up as an option and I went for it. I did go to the hospital once since being here, but since then I’ve been a lot better. I’m enjoying myself here. I help out Doreen a lot. I help her in the kitchen. Sometimes I help Doreen fix rooms; last week we painted everything in room number six and put in new carpet.

The only job I was ever happy with after the Navy was driving a truck. I drove all over the United States. I think there are only 2 states I haven’t been to. I’d like to get back to that some day, but I don’t think that’s going to be anytime soon.

People should be open-minded towards people with psychiatric illness. What television and movies try to project is definitely not what we’re like.