‘People should feel there is nothing to be ashamed of’

PAUL LEAVY was diagnosed schizophrenic at the age of 17.

He suffered bullying and was left feeling as though he had just been given a life sentence.

However, in a shining example of how mental illness should not become a barrier to everyday living, four years on he is helping others come to term with illnesses and personal difficulties.

“In the early days it kind of hindered me as I was ashamed of it. I felt that there was a lot of disrespect and stigma,” he said.

“Now I’ve got to the stage that I’m confident to talk about it openly and promote mental health so that other people can be more open with their situation. They should feel there is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Paul is one of four people featured in the National Disability Authority’s new television and radio ad series designed to challenge attitudes to mental health.

Others include Gaelic Players Association chief Dessie Farrell, who has battled depression, journalist Carol Hunt, who suffered post-natal depression and anorexic mother-of-two Marie Devine.

And demonstrating how he has turned his schizophrenia to his advantage, Paul works with psychiatric patients in Tallaght, Newcastle and St John of God’s hospitals.

His job is to talk to patients and help them come to terms with their mental difficulties and ensure they understand that their problems won’t stop them leading everyday lives.

He also teaches them there is no reason to be ashamed and to ignore stigma.

“I lead an active life. It [schizophrenia] is just one part, it’s not me as a whole,” he said.

“It is something that I’ve always wanted to do, to work with these people and give something back.

“When I talk about being open about mental illness people say ‘you look so well, you don’t look like you have an illness and I can’t believe you talk about it openly’.”

Paul works with up to 60 patients in the three hospitals every week.

“If they want to talk about their lives, they can talk about their lives; if they don’t, they don’t. We don’t deal with them as a person with an illness we deal with them as a person,” he said.

“I think the stigma is across the board, when people hear schizophrenic they think psycho.

“I thought it was a bit of a life sentence at the time, because they told me I was on medication for life.”