How did people recover?

[Harbour]

This sounds like a silly question but how did people recover and stop seeing themselves so negatively and at least being able to control the negative thoughts?

I want to change how I see myself but I don't know how.

Thank you.

[tamobhuuta]

for me the right meds helped - they got rid of the voices so I was able to feel better without their negativity all the time.

[keep_it_together]

I attribute my progress to the right meds too. Time spent feeling better helps you think better.

[Harbour]

I feel like I'm going to die like this.

Thank you for your replies. I just don't know how to keep going.

[when.will.it.end]

Lots of therapy and determination, the right support, time. A mixture of things.

[Ballerina123]

Self awareness, self responsibility and an 'anchor' (reason to fight) for me.

This and finding the right meds.
Meds really reduced my psychotic and mood symptoms but the little bit that was left I had to take responsibility for, be self aware and find positive goals in life (like getting a job and starting studying a subject I like again). It's also good to have perseverence. For example if you do well for a day write it down and why you felt different and put it down so you know to do the same thing the next day, and the day after, ect.

I have also found self help books help.
Therapy helped a bit, but that is something you have to work with it wont help just turning up you have to do the work and believe in the work your doing.
Getting into a good routine (especially a good sleep routine).
Learning basic stress management skills.

It's also been good for me to realise what recovery is for me.
Recovery for me is not an absence of symptoms but a reduction to a point where I can manage my life and have fun. I still hear voices and have some odd beliefs but I don't let them take over my day. I listen and enguage with the thoughts if I have the time and space but if I'm busy I just put it to the back of my mind and leave it till later.

- Connecting with people daily is good for mental health too.
- putting time aside every day to relax (even if it's just 5mins)
- regular exercise helps
- eating healthy make you feel better about your self and gives you more energy
- reduce alcohol helps recovering from depression.

I use quotes sometimes to like
"Fall down 7 times stand up 8"
"You are your own destiny"
Ect.

It is shard work and it takes a long time. But it's worth sticking with to be well and happy.

I'm not sure what exactly your issues are this is just a few things that helped me.

[sherlock holmes]

The turning point for me was realising that I hated being the way I was. I'd been in hospital for nearly two years and I was told I'd be a long term hospital patient due to my illness and behaviours. I was losing my life to being ill and I was sick of it. I threw myself into therapy and actively did everything I could to shaking off the 'patient' mindset and finding my identity.

Then I finally got the correct diagnosis, the correct medication, saw a great psychiatrist and CPN. But it was me who put the hard work in and yes it was really tough, but looking back I am so glad I decided to do it.

I'm not 100% recovered and don't think I ever will be, but I've gone from being suicidal all of the time and self harming severely and generally living in hospital to not self harming any more, given up smoking, not attempted suicide in at least 6 years, started a degree, looking for a job, out of hospital for 6 years.

SOmetimes it does feel like a daily battle with your own mind, but you need to remind yourself of why you are fighting it.

[Serendipity.]

What is it that you're struggling with? What do you feel you need to change?

I'd say I'm 'recovered' from having issues with self harm, but I wouldn't say that I'm recovered from the issues I have with my mood. Ideally I will get there but realistically, it may always be a work in progress. I cope an awful lot better these days though.

I think, there are many things that have helped - I find things like having a good routine, getting the right amount of sleep and eating well, and having meaningful activities immensely helpful.

But I'd say the thing that allows those things to be helpful was learning to accept myself and accept how I'm feeling. When I am low, yes that is unpleasant, but at least now I know it's bearable and I know that it will pass. On the bad days all I really have to do is keep breathing and it will get easier eventually. Knowing that means I don't get so upset about it, don't struggle in an unhealthy way, don't need to engage in negative ways of coping, and don't hate myself for it. Not that I always manage perfectly, but I do much better now. I hope that makes some kind of sense!

[Harbour]

Hey, thank you so much for the great replies ill reply properly tomorrow on my laptop. Thank you x

[Sunshine]

I think for me if was being in hospital in a way that was out of my control zxx having a bad experience (when I had my son).

Before then I saw hospital both psych and general as a place to be cared for and looked after when I felt I wasn't getting that at home or myself. I realised that I had to learn care for myself and the thought of stepping into a hospital again fills me dread. I suppose that safety blanket was taken away.

I know you can't do this and it's nothing i actually did myself but the first step I think I took was listening to people when they said I was worth something and what had happened in my life was not my fault. I think I only ever had 1 person in my whole life who when I said "...what happened in my life was my fault" and "I'm horrible/evil/anything negative." Compare that to the shed load of perfessionals/friends/ even police when it was explained why I was being unhelpful. I used to be told to look at the evidence as to why it wasn't my fault and I didn't want to do it I was stuck in my self hate bubble tbh I still haven't researched it. But eventually it will chip away at you and you will start to think "why are all these people so definite I am wrong" and just that one thought if you say it to yourself everytime you think something negative to yourself then it starts to really slowly make you believe it and you get to this point eventually where the good voice is louder then that negative one.

Also accepting that the past cannot be changed no matter how much you want it to be and thinking about it will only upset you. I think I was stuck in the past because I was so afraid of the future and it sounds corny but take every day as it comes..people love you and will support no matter how hard it gets and we are lucky to have that.

I think the thing that makes it so hard to move forward is the fear of failing and letting go of the option to kill yourself/hurt yourself but while that option is still in anyone's head it's virtually impossible to start living fully.

It will always be difficult at times but you can do it!! You are worth so so much more then what you think you are now and it is NOT big headed to think your a good person... I'm still at an "ok person" stage but even that is better then "evil/stupid/whatever"

Love you
Xxx

[Harbour]

Thanks for all your replies <3.

I want to change and become more comfortable with myself. Psychosis is an issue which I'm trying to sort with medication, but the hate I feel for myself is so strong. I've been overdose free for a year this month and still want to do it just as badly.

Any suggestions would be welcome, thanks xx

[Sunshine]

Well done on 1 year free of OD.

Can you write everyday something you did that you were proud of. Then that way you can see you do good things and are worthy of your like?

Then when your just sitting around relaxing and thinking about rubbish if a positive thought about yourself/how you handled a situation comes into your head then write it down on your phone on whatever you have In handy.

Then look at anything you have written before you go to bed, when you wake up and then when you feel bad.

[Steel Maiden]

I used to cut myself daily and I was in and out of hospital (the "revolving door patient" as they call it) a few years back. I was in high level supported housing.

Now I am living alone but with frequent outreach support from an autism charity.

I don't cut anymore (although I do self-harm during meltdowns / challenging behaviour but that is autism not mental ill-health) and I haven't been admitted to hospital for three years now.

For me it is the support I've had from really good care coordinators and psychiatrist, and the autism charity are fantastic.

Although I am not that high functioning in autism, my mental health is so much better. I can manage the voices and paranoia better than ever before.

Meds also help a lot.

As I said in another thread, without meds I'd be exhibiting severe challenging behaviour very frequently and be unable to leave the house. On the mental health side of things, my meds have reached a steady state and I think my dopamine receptors have finally been corrected to a great degree.

[HopeRises]

I think for me that wanting to change was a massive thing. It was a decision. I threw myself into therapy..I took my meds correctly and started living and building a life outside therapy and being ill. Getting a job helped massively. Having responsibility and things. I couldn't just crawl back to bed when I was having a bad day so I learnt other coping skills. Mostly I talk about it and reach out.

I want you to know recovery is definitely possible.