This question came up on another forum and it got me thinking, that the only thing that really separates our illnesses of our identities is the insight we have over it, creating thus a clear distinction between our ill selves and our recovery selves, as pointed out by the article @flybottle posted on another thread.
Where’s for you the line between your ill self and your identity?
The two selves are splitted until today. How can we integrate the two selves?
My identity is pretty much tied up with my illness unfortunately. Maybe if I had meds that worked in the background it wouldn’t be like that. But abilify is like “hey, it’s me abilify, I’m here, I’m keeping you sane, look at me, here’s some anxiety too”
It’s interesting, both answers 
So, as flybottle’s article stated it’s possible to have the two selves integrated in a recovery mindset @everhopeful 
I have a theory too for that.
The identity versus the ill-self is like arm westling.
If your identity and ill-self proportion is at 60%-40%, I think it is possible for integration of the two separate selves.
my identity has became my illness
my illness has became my identity…poor me…haha…
time 4 another cup of tea…i am going to prepare a cup 4 me…and to all of U…wow nice smell…
get cool and be loved…!!!
ty…
take care
I will get frequent mood swings, sometimes they are major.
Unfortunately my illness is tied up with my identity, it is difficult to tell them apart.
The meds also add to the confusion.
Doesn’t have to be so. You can have a good life nontheless.
This is true @Minnii, but especially for me it is very difficult to separate my illness from my identity.
I am constantly mood cycling from one emotion - extreme to another.
The meds help, but they go so far.
Yeah same here, my moods are always all over the place and my pdoc refuses to give me a mood stabilizer. He wants to “wait it out”. I’ll probably go to a private pdoc because this one clearly doesn’t want to take chances with me, even with me not minding a little trial and error. He thinks it’s not worth it.
But yeah, I don’t see myself as an ill person, but rather having something that come from the outside, like a cold 
lol, maybe it’s not even healthy to see it this way
I have difficulty separating myself from my illness sometimes. Part of it is that I’m trying to break stigma in everyday life, so I want people to know that this functional, friendly person is the true face of schizophrenia. The other part is that I do still have breakthrough symptoms, and I need a way to explain it to people.
It’s hard @Minnii to seperate myself from my illness. Everyday I live in a constant battle. Everyday I’m in recovery so it’s difficult to not even think about the illness. 
Do you know the line?
I don’t. It’s hard for me too. I just feel that when I’m aknowleging the symptoms or thoughts or moods as part of an illness, or several, I put myself in a healthy position, detached from the illness itself, like my true self.
Don’t know if it makes sense.
That makes perfect sense! I have tried doing that as well while reading a book called “The Power of Now”. It’s about observing your emotions rather than act upon them. Hopefully one day we get to see and draw the line. 
At least it makes sense to me.
Exactly. But there is room for improvement. I use the healthy self to slowly take over the illness itself.
@Sunshine yeah, healthy distance from symptoms is a great goal. It’s tougher to go around the moods though, they make such a huge part of the day. Even with distractions, my mind seems to wonder off to that realm all the time.
@Plumber That’s wonderful! That’s recovery right there
100% because im on this god darn board 100% of my life practically reminding me of my illness
but in serious, i bet theres people out there who the only part of their illness that takes up their identity is the meds they take and the few symptoms they have
we as strategic people who go on message boards tend to identify more with the illness…maybe we are searching for answers, or maybe we are just curious people
That makes sense We the curious, and that 1% of the 1% that are extroverted enough to creat an account to talk about potatoes
Sz is a part of me. I wrote in my journal on the inside cover I am a Muslim, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a hippie, a vegan, a bookworm and a schizophrenic. It is a part of my life and always will be, but it doesn’t totally define who I am. I am made up of many identities into one - Saadiqah. 