This story is about a miracle. Here is the link: http://bit.ly/1iMes7P. As you will see when you read the article, this young man survived a jump off a bridge meant as a suicide to become a mental health advocate. He survived horrific injury to reach out and become an inspiration to others living with mental illness. I am so awed by the enormity of his story. He is a survivor in the most amazing way. Being a coward, I can honestly tell you that fear has prevented suicide for me. I can't even imagine the pain, mental and physical, that he endured. But for me, here is the most important point in this story: All human beings living with mental illness are at risk for relapse. All of them. Even this mental health hero.
Why is that important? Because I think that recognition of that reality forces one to deal with the possibility of relapse. It keeps us humble. It keeps us working on maintaining our recovery. Whatever is keeping you mentally healthy is important. Whether it is medicine, therapy, support groups, or other tools that keep you healthy...they have to be a priority in your life. And if we find ourselves slipping, we have to be willing to ask for help. Sometimes medicines stop working. Life events overwhelm our ability to cope. And sometimes ego keeps us from reaching out. So we have to be willing to ask for help. We have to listen to feedback. And we have to be painfully honest with ourselves. Beyond all of this, we have to learn how to place value on ourselves and our recovery. We are worth it. We are important.
Does this always work? No, probably not. Nobody really volunteers for severe depression. Or a relapse into schizophrenia. Or anxiety. Or panic attacks. It just happens. There is a lot we still don't understand about mental illness. So, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects of decreasing the potential for relapse is continued research. Finally, I think that we have to recognize the importance of advocating for access to treatment. If you lose insurance, you may lose your access to treatment. It has happened to me. So, we have to be willing to step out there and confront the stigma. And educate people about the need for insurance. It is up to us. We have to be our own heroes.
Why is that important? Because I think that recognition of that reality forces one to deal with the possibility of relapse. It keeps us humble. It keeps us working on maintaining our recovery. Whatever is keeping you mentally healthy is important. Whether it is medicine, therapy, support groups, or other tools that keep you healthy...they have to be a priority in your life. And if we find ourselves slipping, we have to be willing to ask for help. Sometimes medicines stop working. Life events overwhelm our ability to cope. And sometimes ego keeps us from reaching out. So we have to be willing to ask for help. We have to listen to feedback. And we have to be painfully honest with ourselves. Beyond all of this, we have to learn how to place value on ourselves and our recovery. We are worth it. We are important.
Does this always work? No, probably not. Nobody really volunteers for severe depression. Or a relapse into schizophrenia. Or anxiety. Or panic attacks. It just happens. There is a lot we still don't understand about mental illness. So, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects of decreasing the potential for relapse is continued research. Finally, I think that we have to recognize the importance of advocating for access to treatment. If you lose insurance, you may lose your access to treatment. It has happened to me. So, we have to be willing to step out there and confront the stigma. And educate people about the need for insurance. It is up to us. We have to be our own heroes.
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