Finding hope again: Michael’s story of recovery

For Michael, even the simplest parts of the day felt almost impossible. 

“Life was like walking through wet cement,” he recalls. “I had to push myself to do everything.” 

After moving from British Columbia to Ajax in 2025, Michael experienced severe depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide. He missed the place he had called home for 65 years. 

“I did not realize I would miss it as much as I did,” he says. “Every morning was a giant, horrible struggle for me.” 

His wife, Charmaine, watched the outgoing man she loved become withdrawn and she deeply missed their companionship and shared laughter. 

“We’re always laughing, even on my hardest days,” she says. “So, losing that for almost a year was huge.” 

Finding that joy again took time, care and lots of hard work. With support from his care teams, Michael kept showing up, practising the skills he learned, and taking small steps to reconnect with everyday life, even when it felt difficult. 

“I had to push myself,” he says. 

Those small, difficult steps eventually brought Michael to a moment he once could not have imagined: sharing his recovery story with approximately 90 guests at the recent Recovery Awareness Celebration at Jubilee Pavilion in Oshawa. Charmaine watched with pride. She knew the hard work behind that moment. 

“I survived. Simple as that,” he told the group. “I have hope and joy again.” 

His story was among those shared at the 21st annual celebration, hosted by Lakeridge Health’s Pinewood Centre and Durham Mental Health Services. The breakfast brought together clients, families, care providers and community partners to celebrate recovery and challenge stigma through personal stories and performances by the Peer Support music group. 

Held during Mental Illness Awareness Week, Recovery Awareness Month, and ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10, the Recovery Awareness Celebration reflected the theme, “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change” as well as the Recovery Awareness them, Recovery Happens Together.  

“This celebration makes recovery visible,” says Beth Brannon, Senior Director, Mental Health and Addictions, Lakeridge Health. “It honours the courage and resilience of people sharing their experiences and offers hope to those who may still be struggling. Their stories remind us that compassionate care can make a lasting difference, and that recovery means something different for each person.” 

After receiving treatment at Ontario Shores, Michael joined a nine-week group therapy program through Lakeridge Health’s Ajax Pickering Hospital’s mental health team. Practical tools and another participant’s understanding of his loss helped him begin to heal. 

“I’ve learned to be my own life coach,” he says. “To be kind to myself and understand that it’s okay to fall down, because I have the tools to get back up. Recovery is a lifelong journey, but now I can look ahead with hope and appreciate the new things life brings.” 

Charmaine saw hope returning through everyday moments: Michael helping at home, accepting invitations and making a friend. 

“I’m happy for us because we can continue on our journey together,” she says. 

“To celebrate alongside people we supported during some of their hardest days, and hear about the lives they are building, means so much to us,” says Trina Bell, Patient Care Manager, Mental Health and Addictions, Lakeridge Health. “We see the difference care and connection can make, and we get to share in their joy.” 

Helping people reconnect with life is at the heart of Together, Best Mental Health, Lakeridge Health’s strategy for compassionate mental health care that is easier to access, reflects individual needs and connects people with support throughout their recovery. 

Recent initiatives build on that foundation.  

A new partnership with Ontario Shores aims to strengthen treatment and create smoother transitions between hospital and community services. The Bridging Clinic, developed with CAMH, provides short-term support after an Emergency Department visit while connecting people with ongoing community care. And a new Durham Region Police-Hospital Committee brings care providers, police and paramedics together to improve transitions into emergency care for people in crisis. 

For Michael and Charmaine, the meaning of that support and partnership is personal: finding joy in everyday life and looking forward together. 

Michael hopes his words reach someone who cannot yet imagine recovery. 

“If you can find somebody who believes you will recover, even if you don’t believe you will recover, believe that they believe that you will recover.”