Legit post. Attitude and willingness to change for the better is huge.
I see the state of psychiatry as being roughly the same as general medicine in the late nineteenth century. Psychiatry is discarding less helpful models for therapy and is on the verge of hugely increasing its insight into mental illness. They say the 21st century will be āthe century of the brainā, where they get all the neural pathways in our brains mapped out.
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@shutterbug I think you make a good point about a positive mindset and approach, but also to be included in the mix as a factor re how far one gets on the recovery trail is innate ability to tackle and overcome problems. That differs from individual to individual.
I wasnāt regarded as quite a hopeless case as you were but just over 3 decades ago Iād reached a point where I was at best a candidate for a group home and at worst for a long stay ward. Then came along someone who believed in me. I know how difficult it can be but I canāt over stress the importance of having someone supportive in your corner.
I have never achieved recovery but in living independently, albeit with some difficulty and limitations, I am doing better than the prognosis all those years ago.
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i have this attitude now as well, i think iāve been saying it since a bit before going to college in 2012 its what makes me want to get somewhere in my life
I hope I get to a place you are one day ā¦ everyone has there own individaul battle maybe you need to walk in there shoes to know there struggle ā¦ me personally is in early recovery and finding it hard to survive what im going threw its been one of the darkest times in my life and theres been many.
Like spending years floridly psychotic, non-functional, and bouncing in and out of psych hospital wards? Yeah, paid my dues.
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determination
Being on a mission
Being determined to accomplish a task, like dammit it is happening one way or another
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YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
Dun dun dada Dun dun dada Dun dun dada Dun dun dada Dun dun dada Dun dun dada doo de doo doo de doo doo de doo doo doā¦
We are here to kick ass and chew bubblegum. And weāre all out of gum, baby.
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Mind if I mention again how you write better than most of the PhDās Iāve worked under? I wish you would focus less on the things you canāt do and concentrate on kicking booty in the areas where you are supremely capable of it.
(Oh, and for what itās worth, I forgot to shower again yesterday. Canāt be awesome at everything.)
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my heart now rules the head leaving me in a state of bliss very frequently ā¦
Sing it brother! Best rant Iāve read here ever!
Thanks pixel. Good things come to those who chase them.
Iāve started walking to work 2km. And Iām doing really well at work. Noone would think there was anything wrong with me.
Exercise, working, and meds along with the right attitude get you a long way in recovery!
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I wish I had a shower instead of a bath. Iād wash a little more than I do now. Stepping under a shower would be so much easier than running a bath. Plus my bath is like being the human equivalent of anchovies in a tin.
As for your other comments; you have more confidence in my abilities than I do.
I make a point of trying to be as honest and open as I can be when posting. Itās very much
WYSIWYG with me. I am not always sure though that I structure my comments well.
At the end of the day, with the exception of the few truly multi talented types, I think we all have things we are good or bad at .
I think,or at least hope, that I am quite good at providing information. For the most part it doesnāt require any great skill set but does require taking the time to regularly check rss and twitter feeds.
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Thereās an old quote I likeā¦
āAny man who says he never had a chance, never took a chance.ā
I think it means to stop feeling sorry for yourself, and go out there and do something about it. Be your own catalyst for changeā¦etc.
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Thatās a great saying @Patrick
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I think attitude is important but I also think the degree to which one has cognitive and/or negative symptoms comes into play.
Some of us have more tools in our tool kit than others. I think most of us here do as well as we can even if that means we are several steps away from recovery.
Sometimes it can be about maintaining a level and not sliding back, even if we do not make it to the next level. Considering where I could have been Iām doing better than was expected.
I think having someone who believed in me helped. I know that after nearly 8 years in and out of hospital psych services had written me off as a totally hopeless case.
I think in the 70s and 80s, an early diagnosis of schizophrenia meant you were all but written off . Hopefully things are better now for those starting on this journey.
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You can always add tools along the way. Sometimes you can even use the tools you have to fabricate new ones.
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Iāve had an improvement in the way I am and itās been by total fluke. I was put on an antidepressant.
Great thread.
Moves me emotionally to read these words.
I totally understand how difficult it is.
Some days i feel like im taking 3 steps back.
Instead of moving forward.
Be well!
Okay, I like to be optmistic and have a lot of positive thoughts, but negative and cognitive symptoms bring me down again.
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Severe anhedonia isnāt an attitude problem. I sorta get ur line of thought, cuz I was a well-functioning sz before my last relapse. I never really thought about or could understand how a mental illness could cripple ur brain so severely and make people ādifferentā from oneself. Alas now i know.