2024 Journeys Magazine
Grateful Families
Families of graduates stay connected to Skyland Trail in many ways. They speak to other families considering treatment, support families through peer support in STEP, or share their stories in the community. Many families make charitable gifts to help others access and complete treatment. We are thankful for our Grateful Families.
A Foundation for the Journey
Father of an adult program graduate
No one prepares you for sitting in a psychiatrist’s office and receiving a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder for your son. There aren’t clear cut definitions for what that diagnosis means or instructions on how to manage your child in psychosis with a suicidal ideation. Understanding the impact of the necessary medications, the required adjustments, and the resistance to compliance add to the challenge of coping with a situation no parent wants to confront. Unfortunately, this is where our family found itself during our oldest son’s senior year in high school.
Like so many other families, we found ourselves overwhelmed. Our country has incredible healthcare resources for many disease states but our infrastructure for mental health care issues is poor. Our research quickly showed that there is no cure. Where there is no cure, disease state management is the only option. The question for us was: how does one manage this illness? We were fortunate to have access to a psychiatrist who helped with medication, but in terms of charting a long-term course, there was a frustrating lack of good options.
We set out to find an evidence-based approach to rebuilding our son’s life. Through our network of friends, we received a recommendation for Skyland Trail. Skyland Trail’s approach to treatment encompassed the elements we wanted for our son. While working through the admissions process was easy enough, convincing our son to sign on was much more challenging. We have learned that mental illness itself resists and fights the treatment. That is the ongoing battle.
"While it has not been an easy journey, we count ourselves fortunate to have gotten this far. We are also thankful for Skyland Trail giving us hope and a foundation for the journey."
Our son’s time going through inpatient and then residential treatment was incredibly beneficial. Working through dialectical behavioral therapy enabled him to process and communicate difficult emotions and experiences. The ability to express complex emotions and communicate has been foundational to moving forward. Skyland Trail’s setting also allowed him to connect with others who are struggling with comparable issues. This enabled him to form friendships that have continued into the present time. Learning to communicate, forming friendships and developing coping strategies created a foundation for moving forward.
Skyland Trail helped get our son back and enabled us to help him imagine a better future. It’s a daily journey that has good days and setbacks. You still contend with a poor mental healthcare system and the illness continues to fight the treatment. The good news is that things can improve over time. Our son is enrolled in college and on track to complete a degree. We weren’t sure that would happen when we started. While it has not been an easy journey, we count ourselves fortunate to have gotten this far. We are also thankful for Skyland Trail giving us hope and a foundation for the journey.
Grateful Families Support Skyland Trail 5K Run/Walk
We are thankful for the contributions of grateful families who participated in the 2024 Skyland Trail 5K Run/Walk. Whether you ran, walked, volunteered, donated, or drove your teen graduate from South Carolina, we appreciate you!
"We participate in the 5K to support Skyland Trail, and we enjoy the challenging course as well as the updates on the wonderful work Skyland trail is doing in the community. We appreciate the valuable mental health resources Skyland Trail provides, particularly the new campus supporting adolescents. Everyone deserves to feel well!"
Nancy and Marshall, parents of an adult graduate
"Skyland had such a huge impact on our son’s life. Participating in the 5K was a great way for us to show our support and gratitude. Seeing my son reunite with some of the Skyland staff brought so much joy to us all. Their smiles and genuine care made us all feel like winners."
Parent of an adolescent graduate
Thank You to Our Event Sponsors
