The Winchester Rescue Mission will be able to expand reach and services with their new location at 2655 Valley Avenue
Chris Doctson is on a mission.
Improving the Ride
The Winchester Rescue Mission resident has been on a mission for most of his adult life, leading him to serve others. Chris was diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia one year after graduating high school as a good student and excellent athlete. He had moved away from home to attend LaGuardia Community College in Queens, New York before he found himself called to a mission. As a result, Chris embarked on a journey that challenged him into the person he is today. When Brandan Thomas, Executive Director of the Winchester Rescue Mission, was first asked to consider bringing Chris into the shelter on Cameron Street, the answer easily could have been no, and it almost was. On paper, Chris was not a great fit. He had a history of violence and larceny, was struggling with medication compliance, and was caught in a cycle of his life at that moment that appeared he might never escape his own shadow. It would have been easy to discard Chris’s file as one that could not be helped. It would be easy to discard
his story under the umbrella of homelessness and mental illness. But instead, his story has become his mission, one that he now is using to help others. Chris had many fond memories of his life growing up. Sure, his parents had divorced when Chris was in elementary school, but they remained committed to co-parenting their four children. Chris was very active in gymnastics, martial arts, and youth football. He was a Boy Scout that helped with food drives throughout his community, even though his family was just on the brink of needing that assistance themselves at times. He did his chores. He went to church every Sunday. He lived what many of us would consider a “normal life” growing up. After graduating high school in 2003, he had the world in the palm of his hand and was off to study Travel and Tourism at LaGuardia Community College.
Chris’s mother first detected that something was changing in him. She had fielded a phone call from Chris, who was set on moving to Australia because he had been told he needed to. At this time, she encouraged Chris to seek some help
from mental health professionals. Chris followed through with his mother’s wishes and received his diagnosis. He was hospitalized for 30 days with medication which he did well with. Chris thought that might be the end of everything, only to find out he would require medication for the rest of his life. “I felt less than. Immediately. I felt that I was going to need to be controlled for the rest of my life. I felt monitored. This wasn’t a challenge that I could complete. There is no end. Mission Impossible. That’s when I felt heartbreak. I really felt broken.” Chris said. Chris did well with his medication for about two weeks until things started to slip. If he had missed a dose here and there, would anybody notice? Suddenly, there was no accountability and little understanding of the impact this diagnosis would have on the rest of his life. How would Chris know what was false? Paranoid Schizophrenia presents with delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, and grandiose thinking. It is impossibly difficult to tell when these
