Treatment and Recovery Part 1: Taking a Look at Yourself

Have you been told that you have a psychiatric or mental illness like depression, bipolar disorder (manic depression), schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, dissociative disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, an eating disorder, or an anxiety disorder? Perhaps you have never been diagnosed but you know that something just isn't feeling right within yourself. It is time to take a good look at the situation. It may be helpful to have your spouse or someone else close to you speak candidly with you about what they have witnessed from your behavior. This is not the time for arguments or criticism. Respect everyone's point of view.

Do you experience any of the following, and do these experiences get in the way of doing the things you want to do most or all of the time?

• feeling like your life is hopeless and you are worthless
• wanting to end your life
• thinking you are so great that you are world famous, or that you can do supernatural things
• feeling anxious
• being afraid of common things like going outdoors or indoors, or of being seen in certain places
• feeling like something bad is going to happen and being afraid of everything
• being very "shaky", nervous, continually upset and irritable
• having a hard time controlling your behavior
• being unable to sit still
• doing things over and over again-finding it very hard to stop doing things like washing your hands, counting everything or collecting things you don't need
• doing strange or risky things-like wearing winter clothes in the summer and summer clothes in the winter, or driving too fast
• believing unusual things-like that the television or radio are talking to you, or that the smoke alarms or digital clocks in public buildings are taking pictures of you
• saying things over and over that don't make any sense
• hearing voices in your head
• seeing things you know aren't really there
• feeling as if everyone is against you or out to get you
• feeling out of touch with the world
• having periods of time go by when you don't know what has happened or how the time has passed-you don't remember being there but others say you were
• feeling unconnected to your body
• having an unusually hard time keeping your mind on what you are doing
• a sudden or gradual decrease or increase in your ability to think, focus, make decisions and understand things
• feeling like you want to cut yourself or hurt yourself in another physical way

If you answered "yes" to the first question or checked any of these experiences, this series is for you.  It is my hope that you will find helpful information that applies to your life and suggestions for things you can do to feel better. Above all, take this list and discuss it with your doctor. Don't be embarrassed or feel "crazy" or ashamed to talk to him about what you are going through. That is the first step toward recovery from a mental illness, and it is a very hard step to take! Trust me, I've been there! A little comfort may come from knowing that there is nothing you can say to your doctor that he has not heard before. You are not the only one dealing with things like what are mentioned in the list above. Many are going through the same thing! So be honest with yourself, and with your healthcare provider, and decide right now that you are worth fighting for. You deserve to live up to your full potential. Don't allow mental illness to rob you of your gifts.

Recovery begins NOW!




information adapted from www.samhsa.gov "Recovering Your Mental Health"