Before I went to Austin Clubhouse, I was bored and just not feeling motivated in life, I was in a funk I felt I couldn’t get out of. I didn’t know where I was going in life. Just mainly sitting at home day by day with no accomplishments…

Before I discovered the Austin Clubhouse, I was just struggling with stress, fear, my schizophrenia and hearing voices, anxiety and depression, and controlling my anger.
I had heard about the Clubhouse from a variety of caseworkers, and at first didn’t try to get involved because of how far away it was from me. But I soon realized that the Clubhouse is open virtually during Covid-19, and this allowed me to apply and become a member.

Before Austin Clubhouse, I always felt a bit isolated because I could not share my diagnosis of bipolar and its symptoms with anyone outside my nuclear family. I had to rely on friends I met through my Jewish identity, or my love of playing sports or public speaking. I was frustrated because I usually had to hide my mental health diagnosis, since mental health is often considered a taboo subject. I was somewhat isolated and hesitant to socialize.

I just wanted to take a few moments to write this personal letter to you all and share some things with everyone here at the Austin Clubhouse:
Though it has been years since I was an active member at the Clubhouse, I cannot express easily enough how moving and touching the welcome has been since picking back up with the Clubhouse the last few days.

Before I realized the Austin Clubhouse had gone remote I felt very isolated and had very few people to talk to due to the pandemic and the shut down. I felt irritated, a lot of sadness, and was falling into a bit of depression. It was frustrating to have such a small outlet. Furthermore, my feelings were amplified because I no longer had a choice to leave the house or not due to Covid-19. Because of health issues I had before the pandemic, and then the shut down, I can’t even remember the last time I left the house.

Before I realized the Austin Clubhouse had gone remote I felt very isolated and had very few people to talk to due to the pandemic and the shut down. I felt irritated, a lot of sadness, and was falling into a bit of depression. It was frustrating to have such a small outlet. Furthermore, my feelings were amplified because I no longer had a choice to leave the house or not due to Covid-19. Because of health issues I had before the pandemic, and then the shut down, I can’t even remember the last time I left the house.

Before I realized the Austin Clubhouse had gone remote I felt very isolated and had very few people to talk to due to the pandemic and the shut down. I felt irritated, a lot of sadness, and was falling into a bit of depression. It was frustrating to have such a small outlet. Furthermore, my feelings were amplified because I no longer had a choice to leave the house or not due to Covid-19. Because of health issues I had before the pandemic, and then the shut down, I can’t even remember the last time I left the house.

Life at the Clubhouse changed drastically 3 weeks ago. Today we are living in a time of uncertainty, social distancing and sheltering in place. Thank God I have been able to stay connected to the Clubhouse community virtually and remotely. I still get to participate in the work and work side by side with other members and staff. It seemed strange the first week but we hit the ground running and haven’t looked back. We’ve ramped up our connectivity so that when we can physically return to the Clubhouse we will be stronger than ever.

Hello Austin Clubhouse Members, These are very strange and uncertain times. This is very new to us all, and nobody really knows what to expect.  A lot of you may be riding this out with friends and family, or you might be alone. It's perfectly normal to feel anxious...

Hi, my name is Gene, and I have been a member of Austin Clubhouse for a little over a year. I struggle with anxiety and depression along with being totally blind and hearing impaired. Before the Clubhouse it was hard for me to go anywhere and feel accepted and for people to get to know me….