Own Your Recovery

I was going to write an article about how the mental health system is flawed. In this article I was going to mention how much mental illness is not being treated in this country. I intended to put forth my experiences with being moved through hospitals after being admitted, seemingly to keep bed space open. I wrote a rough draft of this article in my note book and let it sit for a while.

In time I decided that instead of pointing my finger at the system, I needed to write about how important it is to be in the driver's seat of your own recovery. You will not get anyone to make the changes in your life for you. Outside supports such as loved ones and psychiatrists can not determine the way your life is going. They can assist your recovery by prescribing meds and listening to you on a bad day. You will in the end get no more out of your recovery than you put into it.

The mental health system is flawed. There are too few beds available in hospitals and not enough out patient treatment offered. I could complain until the cows came home about how I have been wrongfully treated for my mental illness. This could serve to motivate you to try that much harder. You should also know that you can be that much prouder of your own experience with mental illness, as it is so hard. It is admirable to take on such a challenge; especially when the circumstances under which you have taken on this task are less than ideal.