is it all in my head?

Hi Rick,

Thanks for sharing that story. I seem to have lived through some of it myself!

I still love Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet but never read anything else of his. Louise L. Hay & The Celestine Prophecy ring loud bells. Never made much sense of them - how being able to stare in the mirror and tell my reflection that I loved myself (or some such) was going to help with the pain I was feeling.

They were not all complete and utter rubbish, they did have some good thoughts/ideas in them. But I totally agree with you that the blaming stuff was utter BS!

It can take a terribly long time to believe ourselves, rather than doubt. Memory is a tricky thing, and all the more so when it's been messed with by trauma. Stopping blaming ourselves can take ever so much longer, even without self-"help" books & others blaming us.

You are spot on about recovery. This we can work on, and it is worth working on. We are responsible for now, and for living the best lives we can. No one will do it for us.

Much is possible, even with a MI - sometimes because of MI. I write poetry and paint. These are mainly fruits of creativity as a result of my MI.

I agree with you about the bloody painful shovel too!

Cheers,

Kristin

Hey Peace

Look dude I just wanted to add I know the feeling that happiness is impossible.

I feel it everyday.

Recovery is not about abatement of your symptoms. It's about finding a way to have some quality of life.

Happiness or contentment seem to me too far away. I don't understand what the concepts even mean really.

But hope for a worthwhile life I can understand. That's why I was a youthworker. I could identify with homeless young people because I'd been one for 2 years. I did good work. What I did was worthwhile.

Now I'm starting a new carreer in Mental Health Services. I know what it is to be mentally ill. I know I'll be doing good work. That will make my former experiences worthwhile.

Without the pain and the horror could I really empathise? Without the isolation, loneliness and loss what would I be? I don't know. But I know about these things. I understand hopelessness. I can empathise. I can do good work.

That is RECOVERY.

I hope Peace that you too can navigate your way through the pain and isolation and see that it makes you especially able to empathise with others who feel such things.

I don't like the phrase "Everything happens for a reason" but

maybe it just f*****g does.

This is my hope

and my hope for you Peace. You are the way you are because people need you to be.

If I've pushed too hard here I humbly apologise.

But your answering post touched me and I felt I could'nt just leave things as they were.

Hope does endure

Rick

Hi all,

Not sure where I should post this but thought I should share it - an article from today's SMH/Age here

The Age version is entitled "It's all in the mind". It's a wothwhile read- someone who's senior in the psych field who apparently more than slightly "gets it"!

Take care.

Cheers, Kristin

Thank you for that Kristin

She has hit the nail pretty squarely on the head. As president she has the oppurtunity to perhaps force or at least advocate strongly for policy and practise change.

To add to this, I would like to see a better understanding and acceptance of past mistakes in the sector and the destructive and traumatic impacts that so many deal with even today.

Some practices has been appalling even in the last 2-3 years. And current state policy regarding locked "open" wards is a part of that.

The affect on service users has been very negative and needs to be addressed and rectified from a policy, practise and maybe even legislative points of view.

I wish Dr Herman the very best and hope she will consult "consumers" to get a fuller picture.

As always in this case Hope endures

Rick

Thank you for that Kristin

She has hit the nail pretty squarely on the head. As president she has the oppurtunity to perhaps force or at least advocate strongly for policy and practise change.

To add to this, I would like to see a better understanding and acceptance of past mistakes in the sector and the destructive and traumatic impacts that so many deal with even today.

Some practices has been appalling even in the last 2-3 years. And current state policy regarding locked "open" wards is a part of that.

The affect on service users has been very negative and needs to be addressed and rectified from a policy, practise and maybe even legislative points of view.

I wish Dr H the very best and hope she will consult "consumers" to get a fuller picture.

As always in this case Hope endures

Rick