Recovery and You!

This morning I want to talk about Recovery and how important it is. When I say the word "recovery" many people instantly assume I mean "cured". Which I don't mean.  When I talk about recovery, I am referring to being able to get out of bed everyday and actually live a near as normal life as I can. I still have to get up and take my medication.

I have a mental illness, I know I will never be 100% cured as I have a brain disorder, but I can work around it and do anything I choose to do.  One thing you always want to remember is what works for someone else may not work for you but you want to keep trying new things till you do find what works for you.

For me it was: self-help work, peer support, and changing my way of living.

Self-Help Work:

I began enrolling in programs that required me to do my own work. Some examples of this are WRAP (wellness recovery action planning), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) lots of reading, changing my thinking habits from always being negative to learning ho to be positive, and going to school plus holding down a full-time job.

Now there is a lot of self-help information out there so take a minute to find what works for you and go from there. But give it more than just a minute. After a week if it doesn't work for you, than move on to what does work for you.

Peer Support:

I didn't have anyone in my life who could offer me this, so I hunted it down on my own. After taking the class I found a job in Peer Support and low and behold did I not only help my clients, but it helped me as well.  By me doing this job I was able to see the bigger picture out there and became the Assistant Director for the NC peer support Association (NCAPS), which now allows me to reach hundreds of people. So once I started learning how to take care of myself, I never stopped learning and I don't regret it for one moment.

Peer Support is not available in all area, so if you can't find a group, than start your own. Peer support does help you, even if you think it doesn't.

Changing my way of living:

By changing things in my life that do me no good, to things that do me good helped immensely. Every time I would start to think negative thoughts I would replace them with positive thoughts instead. That slowly turned my thinking around and before I knew it I was talking positive, thinking positive, and eventually doing positive things with my life. Changing also included what I listened too, and what I watched. By doing those two things I took all the negative out of my life and could concentrate on the positive instead. I also started taking vitamins, exercising, and eating healthier, all this combined added a great influence in my life.

Don't get me wrong, nothing is 100% perfect, but it is better than what it once was when I had no ambition, dreams, or desire to do anything. I now chose to do what I want, when I want too. So whats stopping you from trying new things in your life?

Gratitude List:

1) I am grateful for my recovery and finding what works for me.
2) I am grateful for the opportunities I have today!
3) I am grateful for being able to teach others how to find their recovery.
4) I am grateful for being able to wake up with a smile on my face and a lighter heart.
5) I am grateful for my puppies who help me smile everyday.