With your kind permission, we’ll depart from convention and start this story from the end. Ido is happily married and has a charming son. He earns a respectable salary working in the creative department of one of the largest advertising agencies in Israel. In the dreams of his youth, this is exactly how Ido imagined that his life would be.

But he could also tell you about two years of his life that he would prefer to erase. It all began about a year after his marriage, when many different things all zeroed in on him at once: the birth of a son, the peak pressure of his university studies and the end of his military service, in addition to the regular daily routine that does not cease or become less demanding even when on overload.

Ido turned to his wife for a supportive shoulder, to help him through the challenges, but she was unable to provide it. She wanted to view her husband as a macho man, not a weakling who needed her support. She couldn’t bring herself to allow him to lean on her. This wasn’t the man she married! He became enraged: angry outbursts and throwing objects were a small part of the reception she received each day upon her return from the restaurant where she worked. She felt desperate and trapped – which soon led to a painful separation and divorce.

Ido knew he needed to find a new way – a new direction in life. Luckily, his close friend David was there to recommend “Bayit Cham.” Ido began a process of combining mental health treatment and vocational rehabilitation. At Bayit Cham, he met with a psychiatrist and a personal vocational coach. They provided him with the support he needed to restore hope and self-belief and led him to understand that his chances of recovery were excellent. The combination of appropriate drug therapy, support groups, therapy and coaching enabled Ido to return to better functioning and experience success.

The horizons now look promising and optimistic. As mentioned at the story’s opening lines, Ido is now remarried, has an excellent, well-paying job and attests to high levels of personal and professional satisfaction.

Ido’s message to the world: Realize your dream with every ounce of energy you’ve got! Don’t stay where you are – keep moving ahead each day and strive for more!