Recovery.
 

I'm pondering some stuff and I'd really appreciate any thoughts/opinions.

Is recovery possible when you've been really sick for a really long time? If so, how?

I know there is no simple one answer but as far as I can tell I've been sick since I was about 7 and I know nothing else. I've spent a lot of time in hospitals and been in mental health services for 7 years now. Almost everyone in my life has mental health problems and/or self harms. All I talk and think about is mental health.

I feel like I know how to stop self harming, changing the behaviour is posssible, and I know how to 'get' a 'normal' life (e.g. boyfriend, friends, job, out of services) but I don't know how to actually feel better and think differently. I've never really had any proper therapy so I suppose that's something that would presumably help with changing those things? The depression, panic, dissociation and PTSD are all totally ingrained in me.

When your entire life and indentity is centred around being sick, how to you begin fundamental change? How is it even possible? I so badly want full recovery, whatever that is.

To be honest Katie, the first step is where you are at now, actually genuinely wanting recovery. That's what I've personally found in my experience. You have been through a hell of a lot lately, and the fact that you can sit here and write this now is a positive in itself. So I think that this thread is a start on how to actually feel better and think differently, and I'm not just saying that to be comforting. I genuinely believe it.

Recovery is definitely possible when you have been poorly for as long as you have, or even longer. Are you still involved in mental health awareness things at University? I'm just wondering if there needs to be a part of your life that isn't focussing on mental health in one way or another. Do you know what I mean? Did you get taken on by the PD people? Wondering if maybe therapy might be an option?

I don't know you very well, but from when we have spoken, and from reading all of your threads, I just see a fighter. You are so strong, and if anyone can reach full recovery, it's you. xxx

i think, for me, recovery doesn't mean that all the disorders are gone. it means when i can do what i want to do without paying heed to my disorder, and, more importantly, when i am able to describe who i am without mentioning my disorder. it is when i have a full personality and life outside of my disorder. and it IS possible to reach after a long time! i'm seriously almost there now, and a few years ago i was asking the same question as you are... its slow, and it takes effort to expand into other areas non-mental health related, but it is worth it. and the more non-mental health stuff you do, the less important and impactful the mental-health stuff will seem

Recovery is possible definately it doesnt necessarily mean that you will be totally free of mental health issue but that you can cope with it.

Have a look at the recovery approach or recovery model as that is beginning to gain a lot of credence in mental health services

having something to focus on is the key!

im not sure how much you know about my history, but it's pretty messed up, and i haven't self harmed now for 4 months and been out of hospital and living alone for 5 months, which no one thought i could do.
and it's because i have something important to focus on.
also, i've seen a lot of people in their 40's and 50's who have been in hospital their entire lives, and it's very sad.

like said above, you may not be free of all mental health problems completely, but you can learn to manage them so they don't affect your life so much, and it's great that you want to recover :)

Thanks for the replies

Thank you, that was very sweet. I do know what you mean and you're quite right. I'm going to look into doing some voluntary work with kids, something that has nothing to do with mental health. I have been taken on by PD and I'm still waiting on a therapy assessment.


...The main thing is that I could start voluntary work or something but I don't really feel well enough to do anything. At the same time having nothing 'normal' to do is making me worse. I don't know what to do or how to handle the situation really. I'd really like to believe that full recovery from everything is possible :ermm:

This basically. Full recovery is possible for most people with the right treatment and support: are you getting that?

One thing I've found useful is havign aspects of my life entirely unrelated to mental health, eg part time work, friends who don't know, normal friends and my girlfriend xx

What makes you feel not well enough to try voluntary work?

Recovery can be possible. It can't be forced but small steps at a time can progress to great achievements. Your first achievement is writing this post, talking about recovery and asking, how do you get there?

From my personal experience it is accepting what is there but being able to have it under control, that one functions well enough to voluntarily work or pick up a paid job.

It is finding how to gain back some control over your life. And quite rightly you say, how? After all of these years?. This is where if you can find a good therapist they can guide you through recovery, teach you to learn new ways of coping, help you find answers for existing problems without them solving them for you and give you the confidence to go out there and try new things.

How long will you be waiting for your assessment?

I have a good care coordinator but that's it. I might be starting DBT soon, don't know :ermm: I don't know how long I'll be waiting for the assessment but it looks like I'm only going to be offered DBT, not individual.

I suppose I am well enough to do voluntary work but the whole thing just scares me. My eating is messy, I've not been free of self harm for long at all, I get a lot of admissions with my Eczema and mental health, my flashbacks/anxiety/dissociation/panic are all pretty bad etc.

Thanks for the replies.