Path To Recovery

• Angry or depressed disproportionate to your circumstances
• Extreme highs and lows
• Fear of others hurting you

• Not sleeping, sleeping all the time, or sleep reversed from normal

• “Special sensitivity”
• “Unable to filter information”
• “Special abilities”
• Difficulty concentrating or sleeping

• Family and friends are one of the most important things in helping us to regain wellness
• Ask someone you trust to help you through this process.
• Your family and friends will need support and education, just like you will.
• Encourage them to get educated at the same time that you’re educating yourself.
• Give permission to doctors and counselors you work with to talk to the people you have chosen as supporters.
• Stay involved with other people- social interaction is important for recovery!

• Use words, not actions to express strong feelings.
• Carry their phone numbers with you and put it in several places around the house.
• Have a back-up plan
• Anticipate what could happen and have a plan.
• Include other people in your plan: family, friends, trusted professionals.
• Consider completing an advanced directive.
• For more information on crisis planning

• When you have found a doctor or counselor you trust, share what are you experiencing and how you are interpreting it.
• Pay attention if other people are expressing concern about changes in your behavior or thinking. Often, other people are better able to observe changes in us than we are
• Listen to the interpretations of others you trust, and work together to come to a shared understanding
• Stay focused on the things that have always mattered to you- school, work, hobbies, relationships, etc.

• Look for opportunities to meet other people who have been through the same thing and who are doing well
• Remember: you are not an illness! don’t accept negative assumptions about labels such as “psychosis”, “schizophrenia” or “bipolar disorder”.
• Be around people who are positive toward you, and avoid being around people who act negatively toward you.
• Give yourself time to recover and give yourself credit for what you are able to do.

• You are responsible for your own life! Others can offer support, but no one else can do this for you
• Use the resources and supports available to you.
• Listen, listen, listen.
• Ask questions and share your concerns.
• Write things down: keep track of what works, what doesn’t work and why.
• Look for your own answers and share them with others.
• Set long-term and short-term goals.
• Take it one small step at a time. It’s OK to rely on others.
• Most people need significant support from others during recovery
• Let others know what you need and want.

• To make informed decisions about your own treatment;
• To reasonable accommodations at work and school
• To receive financial and health care assistance
• To choose your own treatment
• If your illness endangers your safety or that of others
• Family members may also have the right to take time off from work through the Family Medical Leave Act.

• Ongoing fine-tuning of the assessment and diagnosis
• Medications prescribed by a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse
• Education about your condition, recovery process
• Participation in groups with other people
• Assistance with financial, housing, relationships, school, work, and other areas
  Support for your family and friends
• Counseling by a mental health professional to:
  • help you adapt to the situation
  • learn to manage the symptoms
  • clarify and support progress toward your goals
  • keep your self esteem

• How you will you know this medicine is working
• When during the day you should take the medicine
• What to do if you miss a dose
• How long it will take before you can expect to see improvement
• What side effects should you watch for, and what should you do if you experience them?

Remember: don’t accept negative assumptions or stigma. You are a unique, talented person with a lot to contribute.

Anger- at yourself, others, the system. Talk about your feelings with someone you trust.

Bargaining- Thinking if I just do this, things will be back to the way they were. If I just take my medicine, if I just pray, if I just work hard enough.

Depression- It’s OK and natural to experience depression as part of the healing process from psychosis. It’s just part of the process.

Acceptance: Acceptance involves the acknowledgement that you are the person who has the “key to your own life.”

• That includes your specific medical condition/diagnosis and other things which relate to your specific goals.
• Your doctor and counselor will be a great source of information.
• You may also want to seek out a college counselor, vocational rehabilitation counselor, or others who have specific knowledge you need.

• Know where you want to go, but take it one step at a time.
• Set small, specific short-term goals for yourself, then stay focused on them.
• Make changes gradually.
  Pat Risser, a long-time mental health advocate, uses the analogy of a ladder.

• Not sleeping
• Living in a very stressful environment
• Interacting with people who are very critical or negative toward you
• Making too many demanding changes at once (moving out on your own while starting a full-time job, etc.)
• Extreme social isolation
• Using street drugs or alcohol
• Using large quantities of caffeine
• Not eating or drinking well
• Not moving your body enough
• Anniversaries of traumatic events
• Not taking medicine as prescribed

• Daily practices which will help you stay well
• Triggers which may make you more vulnerable to relapse, and what you will do to reduce their impact
• Early warning signs indicating that you may be heading toward a psychosis, and what you will do if they occur
• Late warning signs that indicate you are in an acute stage
• You also have the right to turn your relapse plan into an advance directive.