For the next minute or so, put yourself in the following situation. You're a 23 year old man, and up until a few years ago you were an A student. Everyone imagined a bright future for you.

But right now, it's not like that. You're dirty and you can't remember when you last had a bath. You haven't shaved in a couple of weeks, your clothes are stained, and you're hungry.

Those are your minor problems. The big problem is that the voices inside your head just won't stop. Sometimes they're telling you over and over and over again: "You're stupid!" "You're a failure!"

Sometimes they're telling you you're so bad that you need to hurt yourself. Or worse.

The voices are there all the time. You can't concentrate. Because of them you can't hold a job; you haven't been able to pay the rent; and now you're homeless.

One thing that you've discovered, though, is that alcohol helps. When you drink enough, the voices stop. The trouble is, when you wake up the next morning, not only are the voices still there, they're back with a vengeance, and they're telling you really scary things.

So now you've got an alcohol problem on top of the voices problem. It was the drinking that was the last straw with your boss. When you couldn't stop, he fired you.

What does the future, which was once so bright, now hold for you?

The fact is, you have a mental illness and it's just as real, in it's own way, as if you had, for example, diabetes. You're probably not a risk to other people, but tragically, you're a considerable risk to yourself. You need medical help and you need it soon, before you end up an emergency case on Three South, the psychiatric wing at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.

The very good news is that with medical help, you almost certainly can control your symptoms. If things go well, you may even be able to resume functioning in the community. You may be able to hold a job again, and you may again have a satisfying social life that let's you feel connected to others.

The reason your prospects are good is that you have available to you the services of the Lower Shore Clinic. The two full-time doctors, the four full-time therapists, plus the part-time therapists and part-time doctor all specialize in mental health counseling.

The doctor you see is likely to prescribe medications that have a real track record of success. You'll probably also get counseling, probably several times a week at the beginning, and you'll get help with the alcohol problem.

You'll also be referred to Go-Getters. They'll help you with applications for Food Stamps, and they'll help get you a Medicaid Card. They may also help you with housing or assisted living.

Perhaps one of the best reasons for hope is that the staff at the Lower Shore Clinic are truly pulling for you. They'll rejoice in your every success. You'll feel as if you have a supportive family behind you.

The people at the Clinic, like Director Joan Guzi, chose this line of work because they want to make a difference in people's lives, and they do make a difference in the lives of the 100 or so people who come to the Clinic each day. For Guzi, one of the most satisfying things in life is to know that, with the help of medications and counseling, someone like you has been able to get his or her life back.

For more information, call Joan Guzi 410 341 3420 or stop by the Clinic 505 East Main Street

Joan Guzi's Wish List

"We need more help from the State of Maryland. Medicare pays only 50% of the costs for mental health, as opposed to the 80% that's paid for other medical services. The patients we see are very, very poor and can't afford the 50% co-pay. We need the funds because we have ongoing expenses, such as rent and heat and electricity.

"Please write to your state representatives about this. Tell them that it's one of the best financial investments they can make because we are the least expensive way available to handle mental illness. Hospitalization costs roughly $180,000 a year, while we can treat an individual for roughly $16,000 a year.

"People to contact include: Delagates Rudy Cane, Adelaide Eckardt, and Bennett Bozman. You can write to any of them at:

Lowe House Office Building
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991