Often, the word “Recovery” has a negative connotation. For me, at least – I hated the word because I felt as though it defined me as “less” or “flawed” or “broken”. That is not what recovery has to be, however. I am proud to say I am in recovery now, because recovery to me means an exploration, a journey to know myself, discover myself and to incorporate my beliefs within my life. I love to discover and I love to recover!
It is on this page that I intend to show you how I do just that. With the help of numerous resources and thanks to organizations such as DBSA, NAMI and Mental Health America to name a few I have created this page as a Road Map to discovery.
Attitude can sometimes be a hard thing to change when you are not feeling well. What you can do is try. I have paralyzed myself by thinking that I have to act upon the attitude immediately and the fact is you don’t. The battle begins with simply trying to shift your thinking patterns to a more positive outlook.
It is impossible to solve the issues you are dealing with if you do not have a clear perception of what those issues are. Here are some helpful tools to identify what is going on in your mind.
What are your current symptoms?
- Can’t concentrate, trouble finishing tasks and projects
- Get irritable
- Worry and panic
- Body Aches
- No energy – exhausted all of the time
- Can’t sleep
- Change in appetite
- Feelings of worthlessness
Take your illness seriously. Remember 1 in 5 Bipolar people completes suicide. While there is no cure, you do have the power to lessen your symptoms and improve your quality of life!
Ask yourself what are the stressors and what you can do about them. Communicate with family, friends and your treatment team.
Here are a few things to help you relax:
Praying
Walking
- Listening to Music
- Breathing Exercises
- Meditation or Yoga
- Tai Chi
- Art
- Writing
Eating right is essential to give your body the strength to overcome the weakness. Your brain needs food too!
Are you feeling too good?
- Self-destructive
- Abusive
- Extreme Agitation
- Irritability
- Grandiose Ideas
- An Increase in compulsive behaviors
Your treatment team and those around you need to know that these symptoms are beginning to fester. I know that it can feel good in the beginning, if not great – but you must realize where it is going! Those that are not Bipolar do not realize that within your body you have the chemical make up to produce moods and behavior that resemble cocaine when manic! Don’t allow this to take over your life – no matter how tempting.
Know yourself!
Get to know yourself. You might just be surprised how cool you really are. I have yet to meet a mentally ill person that I didn’t find extraordinary and intriguing. Find this in yourself!
- What are your biggest stress triggers?
- Who do you talk to when things are not right?
- How does your medication affect you, is this acceptable?
- What are your interests and hobbies?
- What brings you peace?
Make a list of your skills and talents. Look back on your life and try to remember what brought you happiness. I don’t care if it was Lego’s – go get some!
Make a plan! Here are some questions to help you get started:
- What do you want out of your life? (remember what do YOU want, not others)
- Why is it that you want this?
- What will you do to achieve this goal?
- What challenges will you be faced with to obtain this goal?
- Be aware of negative self-talk and sabotage.
- What do you need to achieve this goal?
- Support Systems
- How will you care for yourself while you start moving forward on this goal?
- Focus on your goal not the difficulties
- Be easy on yourself - Enjoy the ride!
When you can't find it within yourself to lift yourself up - listent to someone else:
Here is a wonderful tool for a Healthy Lifestyle. Download it here! Need a mood chart? Download here! What about those confusing medications - here is a tool to help! Download here!
Be honest with yourself about who you are and what you are dealing with. You are not going to run from this so make it yours! Your life needs these 6 steps in it at all times!
Medication - it is a part of your life and it always will be.
Therapy - it is essential because medication does not take care of the emotional roller coaster your illness takes you on.
Coping Skills - everyone has different ways of coping and it is imperative you know yours!
Family Support - educate your family and those around you.
Psychiatrist - you can't live without one!
Excercise - Physical Health is proven to help with Mental Health!
It is hard to look at one’s self and say you are “lonely”. But you are! I know you are! Loneliness and aloneness is something that seems to go hand in hand with mental illness. Why? Because it is hard to understand us, that is why. When you look through history of those with mental illness you see great loneliness, but out of that you also see incredible art and literature. What is important it to identify your loneliness and know the definitions.
Let’s look at the journey of recovery in a positive aspect and what you have to look forward to!
Self discovery – How can we be effective in our lives without self-discovery?
Spiritual Search – I cannot imagine a life without a higher power and while I have my beliefs and don’t believe in pushing them on anyone, I only hope that you learn what I know about that higher power.
Intellectual Learning – Explore the world, history, culture and people. I have found so much inspiration and hope through the lives of people who lived with my illness.
Awareness and Education – Become an expert in your illness. No it better than it knows itself. It is a powerful defense.
Production and Contribute – Be productive with your days. If you write – write! If you sing - sing and if you paint – paint! Contribute the talents and skills that you have for the betterment of someone else, even if it is just a nice poem to a loved one – your heart will be blessed for this act of kindness!
One last thing. Treat yourself well. Stop the shame, guilt and self-hatred. I speak this from experience and not experience of the past, but today. I wake up with those feelings and with sheer determination and hope, I overcome them. You ARE worth your life. Your life was and is just as much of a gift as anyone else on this earth. We hurt ourselves constantly, the mentally ill and we must stop the destruction.
Hemmingway did it in his writing, Van Gogh in his paintings and Beethoven in his music – you too can find your outlet, your creative outlet for all that consumes you. These gentlemen had their lives taken by a disease in the days before we knew so much about the illnesses of the mind. Today we have what it takes to maintain our illnesses. Though public perception is not nearly what we need and want it to be, it will get there. Struggles with loved ones not understanding can be painful and difficult. Your illness has taken a lot away from you in the name of ignorance.
You have the opportunity in your life, every day of it to be the shining example of one who is in control of their illness. I urge you to take up that challenge and find your way to a peace filled life.