Stories of Hope: An Interview with Rebecca Schaper
This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked mental health advocate, filmmaker and author Rebecca Schaper about her family’s mental health journey and her chronicle of their journey in her documentary and book. Here’s our interview:
DS: You’ve done both a documentary (“A Sister’s Call”) and a companion book (“The Light in His Soul: Lessons From My Brother’s Schizophrenia) about your brother Call’s life with chronic schizophrenia. What inspired you to capture this journey both on film and in print?
RS: My brother and I were reunited after my 20-year search for him. Other people, including my family, were afraid of him at first – this homeless man who didn’t say much. But I didn’t see his disease. I felt I could see into his soul. There was something different about my brother besides his mental illness – a deep sense of calm and wisdom that I hoped he’d share with me.
Not long after he came back to us, I started recording our meetings on video. And somehow I felt it was his wish – to have me do a documentary on his life and the journey of healing we would be taking together.
We shared the pain of abuse which we’d experienced as children. It was a powerful, underlying subconscious bond. He and I never discussed it that way, but the deep hurt was recognized and acknowledged between us. I heard him, I felt him. I made a commitment to find the best way to help him, just as I wanted to be helped. And we spent more than a decade together – some of it troubled, all of it enriching.
From that wondrous experience, I’ve concluded that we are given a chance to rewrite the story of our lives when a major life event throws us off course. No matter how challenging, how fearful, look on it is a gift. Unwrap it. Use it to create a brilliant new life for yourself and others.
DS: For those who haven’t seen the film or read the book, tell us just a little about Call and his long struggle with severe mental illness, as well as the tremendous progress he made over the years.
RS: A major challenge in Call’s treatment plan was finding the proper medication for his well-being. He was over-medicated at times, which made his mood flat and unmotivated. And when he was like that, it was difficult for me to understand his needs. He wouldn’t or couldn’t communicate to me what he wanted, or even what he was feeling. Other challenges were his personal hygiene, along with keeping his apartment clean. At times he would go off his medication because he thought he could function without it.
Only after years of his enduring a kind of roller coaster existence, Greenville (SC) Mental Health Services found the right dosage and medication for him. Then his recovery was more consistent. He was able to live independently in his own apartment. He started taking accountability for his health and keeping his apartment tidy. He stayed on his medications. And it was obvious to me he was able to enjoy life with gusto.
DS: You were such a devoted and supportive family member for Call. What are your thoughts about the importance of family support for those who are struggling with mental health challenges?
RS: Without question, family support is key. It’s the core, the foundation for everything you want to rebuild. The essential element is the person with mental illness must be able to trust and feel safe with their family – to feel consistently loved and supported. They want to be heard and listened to, without judgment.
Compassion and patience are vital, along with getting the proper medical and personal care. Yes, it all starts with love and listening. But then the responsible members of the family must follow through on all the details. For example, proper nutrition will go a long way toward helping the person sustain a positive outlook, motivation, and sense of self.
DS: Ultimately, your incredible journey is more than just the relationship between you and Call. You are candid in describing the sexual abuse both you and your daughter received from your father, your mother’s chronic mental illness, and the eventual suicides of both your parents. How were you able to remain so resilient and positive in the face of all these unimaginably difficult events?
RS: You know, it would have been easy for me to think of myself as a victim of those circumstances. But I never felt that way. I never demonized anyone in my family. I saw into their own deep-seated wounds. They’d also been hurt, not only by their life experiences, but also simply by genetic tendencies to mental illness. When I was living with my parents and afterward, I held to the belief that they loved me despite the chaotic events we all had to endure.
DS: What resources and supports for people with mental illness do you recommend or have found helpful?
RS: The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a great resource for family support. And depending on the type of illness or life challenge, it’s crucial to find a professional who can provide personalized, compassionate, and expert care. For example, a psychotherapist can not only listen to you talk but can also challenge and advise – perhaps someone who specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).
Someone with appropriate medical credentials – and experience in the field – such as a psychiatrist, must prescribe the medications and treatment plan, if needed. And if the plan involves several drugs, the dosages and combinations must be monitored, and possibly adjusted, continually.
DS: What would you like to say to bring some hope and encouragement to those individuals and families who are impacted by mental illness?
RS: I know at times the caregiver or family members can feel frustrated and emotionally drained. My advice is to take care of yourself as well. This is so crucial for everyone involved. And hold some of your compassion for yourself. Don’t blame yourself if you have done everything you can to help the person with mental illness and there seems to be little or no progress. Things won’t always work out the way you’d expect, or on schedule. There will be setbacks. Learn from those what you can, and carry on.
I found that communicating and collaborating with Call’s social worker was very helpful. Remember also, until the person is truly committed to getting help, there isn’t much you can do. The exceptions will be when you have to intervene, when the person might do harm to themselves or to others.
Be on the lookout for activities the person likes to do, such as small projects that involve self-expression. Writing, painting, just being out in nature – focusing on a task can bring calmness to the person. If they can manage the attention span to meditate, the sense of calm could be really beneficial.
About Rebecca
Rebecca Schaper is an author, filmmaker, philanthropist and mental health advocate. With Kyle Tekiela, she co-directed and executive produced the award-winning documentary “A Sister’s Call” about her 14-year mission to bring her brother Call Richmond, Jr. back from the depths of homelessness and schizophrenia.
In her recent memoir, “The Light in His Soul: Lessons from My Brother’s Schizophrenia, Rebecca recaps the story of the film and her long, emotional fight to make Call a part of her family. Her story includes how as a sister, it was up to her to care for her brother, and through that experience, she uncovered secrets that crippled her family. You can reach Rebecca via her website.
Thanks so much to Rebecca for her inspiring story of hope!
Would you like to share your story of hope? I plan to feature more personal accounts like this from time to time on my blog. If you are interested in sharing your story, please notify me via my contact page. Also, please subscribe to my blog and feel free to follow me on X (formerly Twitter), “like” my Facebook page, or connect on LinkedIn. Finally, if you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend. Thanks!