Cam

Cam was a Hopewell resident from March to November 2019. His parents recommended that he come to Hopewell because they believed that our unique treatment model would help him address his mental health issues.

Cam is grateful for his positive experiences with staff and residents. He said, “The staff taught me skills, provided therapy and support, bestowed upon me positive social interaction, and allowed me to bounce ideas off them. The residents raised my self-esteem and offered peer support.”

An “arsenal” of techniques Cam learned at Hopewell have helped in everyday life including meditation, strategies for intrusive thoughts, and tactics for managing emotional distress. Cam said, “One example of a strategy for intrusive thoughts is I notice five things I see of the same color, four things I can hear, three things I can touch, two things I can smell, and one thing I can taste.” He wrote plenty of notes at Hopewell which continue to help him today.

Cam now lives in his own home in South Carolina, spending free time with family and friends, gardening, and exercising. Previously, he studied for a landscape architecture degree at Clemson University, and he plans to further his education at the College of Charleston. While at Hopewell, Cam enjoyed participating on the work crews, especially the garden crew. One of his ambitions is to design and install a garden for his backyard (see drawing below).

Volunteer activities have taken Cam to Feed A Friend Charleston, Lowcountry Foodbank, and a local hospice organization. He has applied for jobs, is exploring spirituality in its various forms, and sharing his positive energy with everyone he meets.

Cam said, “Hopewell was very important for me. I became healthier, stronger, happier, and better off overall.