Ben Boyle - Wave Commander

me@benboyle.ca Resume GitHub

7 Jul 2020 MP

I have had quite the month for a 21 year old young man.

I was hospitalized for two weeks out of family concern that I have Bipolar Disorder, and that I was an immediate harm to myself.

I can say that I was never a harm to myself, but I may in fact be Bipolar Type 1 and I was likely experiencing a bizarre manic episode. I am happily surrounded by a large and loving support network of friends and family whom I’ve been seeing often.

I do not take issue with being “labelled” as bipolar, but I do take issue with the treatment I was offered. I do not think that refusing needles should be conflated with being involuntary.

Refusing a specific treatment does not make a patient involuntary, and I wasn’t given many options nor information.

I fear ever being put in such a situation ever again. I fear many other mental health patients may also have cries of help unheard by the steely and cold legal and healthcare systems that are supposed to be helping their condition.

I was serious when I said “Medicated and not belated, a new me waiting to be seen …”

I’m still finding out who I am and what I want to do. It is safe to say I still want to be a Computer Scientist. I am confident that I can make a large positive impact on the world with modern computers.

Thanks for listening, and wanting to know how I’m doing,

- Ben