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Every day in British Columbia families are blindsided when a loved one experiences their first episode of psychosis. My son Nolan was on a path to a bright future when cannabis-induced psychosis changed his life.
This holiday season, you can help families like mine find hope, even in the hardest of times, by supporting BCSS.
I never imagined I’d be writing this. My son Nolan, now 19, is kind, thoughtful, and until recently, was a typical teenager starting his career as an electrical apprentice.
But last year, our lives were turned upside down.
It began with a bike accident that left Nolan with a serious elbow injury. While dealing with the aftermath, we discovered something we never expected—Nolan had been secretly vaping marijuana with extremely high levels of THC. As parents, we were shocked. There was no history of drug use in our family. I had talked with him about drugs, so I never imagined this would be part of our story.
What we didn’t realize was that this type of high-potency THC use, especially during brain development, can unmask or worsen underlying mental health conditions. In Nolan’s case, it did. He began to struggle emotionally and mentally—anxiety took over, and he grew increasingly restless and overwhelmed. At first, we thought it was a reaction to his injury or the usual pressures of being 18 and trying to figure life out.
But there was more.
By the end of the summer, Nolan had returned to work but couldn’t function. He wasn’t sleeping or eating. He became disoriented, apologetic, and obsessive. Within days, he broke down completely. We took him into emergency, hoping to get some answers.
That was the beginning of our journey with psychosis.
At home, Nolan’s condition worsened rapidly. He was hallucinating, became paranoid, and was unable to tell what was real anymore. I watched my son become someone I didn’t recognize. He had created a whole other version of reality where nothing made sense; except to him. It was terrifying. Like living in a horror movie with no script, no ending, and no idea what would happen next. Eventually, Nolan was hospitalized and placed under the BC Mental Health Act.
Hearing the words, “Your son is in psychosis,” is something no parent is prepared for. But at that moment, I realized how lucky we were to live in a place where help was available.
After his hospital stay, Nolan was referred to the Early Psychosis Intervention (EPI) program. They helped stabilize Nolan and gave our family the tools to begin navigating this new reality.
The EPI team has wrapped Nolan—and our whole family—in care. They’ve guided us through medication management, therapy, education, and next steps. For the first time in months, I don’t feel completely lost.
There’s still a long road ahead, but we know along with the mental health professionals by our side, we have support and resources available to us through the BC Schizophrenia Society. That provides us hope.
Serious mental illness—especially symptoms like psychosis—is still highly stigmatized and something few people talk about. It often strikes young people like Nolan just as their adult lives are beginning. And when it does, families are left scrambling to understand a reality they never expected. No parent is prepared for this. And far too many families are going through it in silence.
That’s why I’m sharing our story — and asking for your help.
Your gift to the BC Schizophrenia Society will support families like mine, who are facing a mental illness crisis they never saw coming.
BCSS provides life-saving education, advocacy, research, and direct support to families navigating serious mental illness. They walk beside us through fear, confusion, and heartbreak — and give us the tools we need to keep going.
In fact, after everything our family has been through, I felt a strong need to give back. That’s why I recently joined the BC Schizophrenia Society’s Board of Directors. I want others to know that when faced with the same situation, there’s help and hope through BCSS.
Nolan is still healing. Our family is adjusting to a future we never expected. But we know we are not the only ones —more families need the help of organizations like BCSS. Donors like you, can ensure they get that support.
Please make a gift today. Your donation will be matched dollar‑for‑dollar up to $10,000 — doubling the impact and helping families like mine receive vital support.
Together, we can help more families facing psychosis and serious mental illness get the support they desperately need. Every gift helps BCSS provide education, family support, and much needed research to further understand and treat schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.
With heartfelt thanks,
Rebecca
Nolan’s mom
P.S. Chris Sandy, a long-time donor and supporter is showing his commitment to BCSS by generously matching donations up to $10,000 for the 10th consecutive year.