Exploring the Path to Recovery: Overcoming Mental Illness

Being told that you have a mental illness may be a tough pill to swallow, but it’s not the end of the world. With the proper help and support, you can find healing and move on toward achieving your life’s ambitions. Of course, you may experience many challenges as you begin your healing journey, but there is hope. With advances in treatment, mental illness is manageable. There are also a number of steps that you can take to help manage your treatment and to support your path to healing.

Today, our understanding of mental illness is much better now than it was in the past. We know that there are different conditions that require different treatment approaches. There are also new medications and advances in therapy that improve the chance of successful treatment. Furthermore, we have also learned a lot about how people recover and how to help them to achieve their full potential.

Recovery from Mental Illness is Possible

At one point in time it was believed that patients with mental health conditions were doomed to live the rest of their life with their illness and would not be able to contribute to society. However, due to advances in mental health care, many people can recover from mental illness and can lead full, and satisfying lives.

The recovery model of mental health that is widely used today takes a holistic view of a person’s life. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines recovery from mental disorders and/or substance use disorders as “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.”

Many people with mental health problems can and do experience recovery, especially after accessing support. Your symptoms may return from time to time, but when you’ve discovered which self-care techniques and treatments work best for you, you’re more likely to feel confident in managing them.

Recovery Occurs Through Many Pathways

Individuals are unique with distinct needs, strengths, preferences, goals, culture, and backgrounds that affect their pathways to recovery. Recovery is personalized to cater to the capacities, strengths, talents, coping abilities, resources, and inherent value of each individual. Treatment may include psychotherapy, medications, faith-based approaches, peer support, family support, self-care, and other approaches.

Recovery is often non-linear and may be characterized by continual growth and improved functioning. However, recovery may also involve setbacks. Because setbacks are a natural part of life, resilience becomes a key component of recovery. Therefore, it is essential to foster resilience for all individuals and families who are in the recovery process.

Importance of Social Support

In order to recover from mental illness, it’s important for the individual to have resources for social support and connectedness. When people have supportive relationships that offer unconditional love, they are better able to cope with the symptoms of their illness and work toward recovery. Although psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and other health professionals can provide support to a certain degree, connections offered by friends, family, and other peers are also critical. Support groups and community organizations can also help to fulfill this need for social support.

Recovery From Severe Mental Illness

Severe mental illness is a term used to categorize the most serious mental disorders that share basic characteristics such as intense symptom severity and severe functional impairment when the condition goes untreated. Conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, substance use disorder, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and dissociative identity disorder would be classified as severe mental illness.

Just because someone has a severe mental illness doesn’t mean that they must suffer for the rest of their lives. People with severe mental illnesses can recover and go on to live autonomous, contributing, and satisfying lives in the community, even in the presence of persisting symptoms. In fact, the concept of recovery is supported by research which has consistently demonstrated that severe mental illness is not always a lifelong condition. In fact, a substantial number of people with severe mental illness will experience a reduction of symptoms and secondary impairments over time.

Achieving a Full and Satisfying Life

Recovering from mental illness includes not only getting better, but going on to achieve a full and satisfying life. Many people affirm that their journey to recovery has not been a straight and easy path to follow. There may be ups and downs, new discoveries, and some setbacks. But, over time it’s possible to look back and see, that despite the challenges and discouragements, how far you have really come. Each time you reach a new milestone, you see that you have recovered a piece of your life and are able to draw new strength from it. The journey to full recovery takes time, but positive changes can happen all along the way.

Am I Getting the Mental Health Care I Need?

As you seek help for mental health issues and you begin to progress through the therapeutic process, you should begin to feel gradual relief from your distress. You may also begin to develop self-assurance, experience a greater ability to make decisions, and increased comfort in your relationship with others. Therapy may be painful and uncomfortable at times but episodes of discomfort occur during the most successful therapy sessions. Mental health treatment should help you cope with your feelings more effectively and to help you reach your goals for recovery.

If you feel you are not getting the results that you are looking for, it may be because the treatment you are receiving is not the one best suited to your specific needs. If you feel there are problems or are dissatisfied with the results, you may want to discuss them with your therapist. A competent therapist will be eager to discuss your reactions to therapy and respond to your feeling about the process. If you are still dissatisfied, a consultation with another therapist may help you and your therapist evaluate your work together.

I have worked with a number of clients over the years who had severe mental illness or other conditions in which they thought that they had to suffer the rest of their lives with the condition. Many of those had been to other mental health providers, but had not received the right treatment and therefore had made little progress toward recovery. Therefore, it’s critical that you advocate for your own recovery and be persistent in seeking the right kind of help that will enable you to achieve your goals.

Summary

With new advances in mental health treatment, it is possible to experience recovery and to live a full, and satisfying life. The healing journey may not be easy and you may have some setbacks along the way, but with the support of family and friends, you can overcome the mental health challenges. But, if you’re not receiving the help that you need, you may need to speak with your provider about your concerns in order to ensure that you are able to work toward attaining your goals.