PERRYSBURG – Cory Dobbelaere has ascended to the heights of worldly success and plunged to the depths of
homelessness, the extremes of a young life which parallel his mental illness.
It was not until age 28 and prevented from committing suicide that he was hospitalized and diagnosed with
being bi-polar.
Today he uses that experience, along with the abuses he suffered in prison, to be an advocate for persons
with mental illness in the Ohio justice system.
Dobbelaere was the final speaker Friday during "Mental Health 101," a conference organized by
NAMI of Wood County, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The event provided "an empathetic
look at the current environment of mental health care in our area."
It was held at Bowling Green State University’s location at Levis Commons and attended by about 75
people.
Dobbelaere grew up on a farm in Ohio, the only child of parents who considered him an over-achiever.
While still in college, he had an executive position with The Limited.
But even before he completed college, trouble arose. "I could not live up to the life I created for
myself," said Dobbelaere. He went to doctors and had a number of tests, but "nothing was ever
found."
After three months he said he "came out of it," went back to college and graduated. From there,
Coors Beer in Colorado hired him, and he had a successful career for three years.
Yet all was not right. "I still couldn’t figure out in myself what was going on. I would go to a
party but come home and sit in my closet. That’s where I felt safe."
"I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know what it was."
From Colorado he moved to Los Angeles to become the marketing director for an airline. His work took him
to LA for one week, then Paris and Tahiti before returning to LA.
Eventually the jet-set lifestyle took its toll. He became totally exhausted, physically and mentally.
Seeking to recover, he went back to his hometown and opened a travel agency, based upon his experience
of having been in 32 countries and knowing well 260 cities.
During one bi-polar cycle, he took about 50 people on a tour of the world and spent money lavishly, way
beyond his income.
Then Dobbelaere began to spiral down and crash, even to the point of planning his own suicide for Feb.
29, 2000 so his parents would only have to think of the date every four years.
But his father broke into his room before he died and took him to the hospital. He was diagnosed with
bi-polar disorder.
However, his parents did not believe in mental illness and refused to let him return to their home after
two months of hospitalization.
And, even though his parents paid the $350,000 debt which he incurred during his manic stage, a local
prosecutor charged him with theft, and he was sent to a medium-security prison for six months.
Not only did Dobbelaere not get any mental health treatment, but he said he was repeatedly gang-raped.

"That changes a person," he said, his voice breaking. "Mental illness or not, your life
has been totally redefined."
Once released from prison, he moved to Cleveland and quickly gained success as vice president of one of
the largest housing developments in the city. But over time he decided "the whole mental illness
thing was a lot of crap," went off his medications and stopped seeing his doctors.
Spiraling down again, he walked out of his condo one day and onto the streets, living a homeless
lifestyle for two years. Even though he lived back and forth between Detroit and Cleveland, the justice
system caught up with him, found he had crossed state lines while under probation and put him back in
prison for 11 months.
His life took a positive turn when he discovered NAMI. His parents became educated about mental illness
through NAMI’s Family-to-Family class, took him back home and made it possible for him to use his
experiences to help other people.
Today, at age 38, he works as an advocate member of the Ohio Supreme Court’s Advocacy Committee on Mental
Illness. He is also president of the NAMI Van Wert/Paulding/Mercer board of directors.
In addition, last month Dobbelaere was instrumental in implementing a juvenile mental health diversion
program in Williams County. He also started teaching Road Map to Recovery, helping people with no family
support and dealing with legal issues how to build their own road maps in life.
While in prison the second time, Dobbelaere wrote a book called "Harrison’s Story," creating a
realistic character who was able to survive and go on in life.
As strong an individual as Dobbelaere is, he admits there is "no way I can win over bi-polar."
He is on lithium and sees a doctor, case manager and therapist. But having his parents believe in him is
part of his victory in life, too, and enables him to reach out to help others.