For the past several years, I have been on the fence about the need to stay at both day service and work. I have been there for over 21 years and there was some doubt as I neared the 20th anniversary of my being there last year, but now more than ever I know just how important it is to have a combination of day service and work in my life.

There was a part of me at the time last year when I was unwell mentally and was in a near second relapse. My proposed departure caused concern among those that worked with me as I was making rash decisions without considering reality. Once reality was had, there was still some doubt about the need to stay, then once reality hit, I realized that I needed day service to continue to be in my life.

Even with all that blanketed, there was still uncertainty about where my father would be in the future. He was not getting the care he needed in the county home, and it was evident that he would need more care as time went on. Eventually it was my family that would convince me that I would need to return to day service.

Part of the requirement of needing to be at day service is having a goal that fit under certain domains of either living, learning, working and so forth as part of the regulations. It was evident that I needed to work on my mental health and have learned a lot from doing so and as a result have been in a better place because of it.

As time has come again for the annual renewal of whether I would stay or not, it was evident with all the changes that have continued to happen there along with the family situation changing deeply that without a doubt I need to stay there. It was more evident that because of how dramatic everything is in the current moment that I need to continue to work on my mental health. With all the changes that are going to happen over the past year, this will extend my stay not only for the coming year, but years to come because I know that I need to work on my mental health amid all the challenges that I presently experiencing that bring unknown items as they have yet to be totally grounded.

I have learned to have no shame about needing to stay at day service. It is being patent with the changes ahead that are brought forth, being patient and getting the support I need from them, knowing that there is no shame in asking for help or asking the staff to do the things that I struggle doing. That is what they are there for and I must be willing to take the step and ask for help when I am struggling so things become less stressful for me.