George Badillo & Inside Outside: Building A Meaningful Life After The Hospital

What a treat it was to listen to George Badillo earlier tonight as he shared about his experiences being institutionalized 17 times! George is one of eight people featured in the documentary, “Inside Outside”, a movie of hope created by former patients and film-makers Pat Deegan, Ph.D. and Terry Strecker. The film depicts the lives of eight people with very significant histories of institutionalization, as they transition from nursing homes and psychiatric hospitals into the community. In the spirit of the President’s New Freedom Initiative and the Supreme Court’s Olmstead Decision, the film carries the message that recovery and life in the community are possibilities even for people who are viewed as the most chronic or impaired. The film leaves audiences of professionals and people with psychiatric disabilities alike, cheering for these eight individuals as they make their journey from inside institutions to full community inclusion on the outside. Running Time: 50 minutes.

The 4 key stages that Dr. Deegan talks about are:

1) Inside Inside: “I’m inside the hospital” physically but also begin to believe it mentally.
2) Inside Outside: You get a glimpse of hope that even though you’re inside physically, you begin to mentally believe that there’s hope beyond the hospital walls.
3) Outside Inside: Once discharged from the hospital (you’re now outside), you continue to trap yourself thinking like you were still inside because you were so used to people telling you when to eat, bathe, take your meds, and what to do and when to do things.
4) Outside Outside: The last stage where you regain your life back, physically, mentally, and emotionally!

I highly encourage everyone to watch this wonderful movie. You can get a VHS or DVD copy of the movie “Inside Outside: Building a Meaningful Life After the Hospital” for FREE! Simply contact SAMHSA directly at (800) 789-2647 or go to SAMHSA National Mental Information Center and look for:

Inside Outside: Building a Meaningful Life After the Hospital: DVD Version (NMH05-0199)
Inside Outside: Building a Meaningful Life After the Hospital: VHS Version (NMH05-0201)

We had a great turnout tonight at Guma Dinana and had a very engaging discussion and some great comments from peers (consumers) as well as mental health providers.

Thank you so much George for sharing about your experiences, your triumphs as well as your struggles. When one of the peers (consumers) asked George what his life is like now, George said that although his life is better, he still has his “ups and downs.”

I think the two biggest lessons I got from George’s message are:

(1) Help yourself and find your support system (family, friends, etc.)
(2) Know your limits, your strengths, and weaknesses and get help if and when you need it.