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Stories Submitted thoughts and stories Recovery – A personal journey
Stories Submitted thoughts and stories Recovery – A personal journey
Recovery – A personal journey |
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cognitive therapy | creativity | depression | female | medication | peer support (informal) and befriending | professional | psychosis | schizophrenia | self knowledge/learning/growth | talking therapies
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Author: Helen Waddell Published: 01 March 2006 Helen’s story appeared in The Herald Society section on 28th February 2006. Helen is a freelance writer, writing for community care magazines and other publications. How to Fix a Broken Mind?Should individuals with mental ill health expect recovery? Is lifelong use of psychiatric drugs inevitable for those diagnosed with a mental illness? My response to the former is “Why not?” and to the latter, “not necessarily”.When first given a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder (depression with psychotic symptoms) in 1995, my then consultant informed me that he thought I would have to take medication “for a very long time”. It’s true that I am still taking psychiatric drugs, but there is much more to me and my life than just a psychiatric diagnosis. It doesn’t define me nor anyone else with a mental illness. Holistic care, taking into account the whole person rather than concentrating solely on a neurological chemical imbalance, can combine with personal development to create a mentally healthy and fulfilling existence. For example, I am currently being treated with a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, not just a course of drugs, and am gaining insight into my own psychology through active participation in this ‘talking treatment’. I continue to discover what is and isn’t helpful to my own mental health, on the same learning curve we call ‘life’ as any other person, regardless of whether they have a similar illness or not. Nobody ever stops learning. I don’t sit in a darkened room, nothing more than a jumbled mass of psychiatric symptoms, cut off from the rest of the world. I write about my experiences, and hope that by reaching out in this way, I might make other service users feel understood, and perhaps contribute towards a climate in which fear of stigma does not lead to silence and shame. I also volunteer for Glasgow Association for Mental Health as a befriender, and try to use my own experiences to support others. I am optimistic about further improvement in my mental health with the help of therapy and self-determination combined. I hope to see a continuing reduction in my medication until I no longer need it. My life has been rudely interrupted by mental health problems, but they are not the death knell to development that some may believe. No-one should be told that mental illness heralds the end of a meaningful and enjoyable existence. On the contrary, I feel I have learned valuable lessons through my experience, and I intend to use this knowledge in continually moving towards recovery. If you’d like to share your thoughts or experiences of recovery then contact us on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 0141 240 7790 to discuss. Click here to go back to previous page |
Story Tags
activism community/socialising/inclusion coping strategies creativity depression employment (+) exercise female hospital male medication medication (-) peer support (informal) and befriending seeing things differently self knowledge/learning/growth self management sense of self support from family support from friends support from mental health professionals supportive spouse/partner taking control talking therapies voluntary mental health services volunteering Story disclaimer
The stories presented here are for information only. They are meant to inspire hope and show that recovery can and does happen. The stories highlight various examples of recovery and we do not advocate any of these experiences as the ‘right’ way to recover. Recovery is an individual and unique process, each person must decide for himself or herself what will work for them. Please carefully consider any decisions you make about your own recovery and consult with someone you trust if you feel unsure. See our Submit Your Thoughts pages for details on how to submit a story to us or you can contact us.
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