Devin's Story: Healing in Community

Devin has crammed a lot of living into his 55 years, and he’s got the scars (physical and emotional) to prove it. These days, he’s focused on healing.

After an unsettled childhood moving around a lot, Devin’s family uprooted to Kelowna when he was 13. With so much turmoil in the house, Devin started looking for relief in all the wrong places. As a young teenager he started using drugs and ran away from home. Cadet training and working in concrete construction later on helped him to “straighten out” temporarily, but he relapsed and was actively using drugs. Relationships broke down. He “worked all day and partied all night” for 30+ years. Eventually, it took a toll on his body…and his mind.

“My life just crashed,” he says. “I hit a brick wall. I lost my health. I lost my place. I lost everything.” At his lowest, Devin tried to take his own life multiple times. Finally, his best friend intervened, and Devin was admitted to the McNair Psychiatric Unit at KGH. Post-treatment, he was living in an environment that was less than ideal, with a lot of unhealthy drug use and mental illness around him. In response, Devin only retreated more. “I’ve always been such a social person,” he remembers. “I just gave up on people.” The downward spiral continued and Devin became homeless. He was hospitalized again. The building he was supposed to move into burned down. His mother passed away. Though he had always managed to get through the low points, things just became too difficult. “I lost the will to live,” he says. “I just didn’t know what to do about it.”

Recently released from another hospitalization, Devin was referred to CMHA Kelowna and the Wellness Development Centre (WDC). He admits that it took some time to stick. “When I first started coming here, I thought it wasn’t for me.” But something powerful happened for Devin at the WDC: “Someone said my name every day,” he remembers. “Now I try to do the same thing for people who come in. CMHA has really helped me connect with people.”

Devin says he’s smiling a lot more than he used to and now looks forward to coming, especially to shoot a game of pool with friends. He’s able to look back on his past and hang on to the good things there (like his lifelong love of metal music). When some of the old unhealthy thought patterns return, or he finds himself questioning “Why am I here?” he has a place to go. When new visitors come to check out the WDC, Devin hopes to get to a point where he can say their names and make them feel at home.

Keep smiling, Devin! We’re so glad you’re part of the WDC family.

To learn more about CMHA Kelowna's Wellness Development Centre, visit:

Community Education & Wellness | Canadian Mental Health Association Kelowna

‍