What does recovery look like for you?

I think the goal of returning to employment is a good one. My job is the only time in my life when I feel productive, respected and valued. When I was at home unemployed there was absolutely no relief from the pain. But I know everyone can't get to a place where they can handle functioning in a work environment so that should always be considered too.

yeah, i really can id with 'the gifts weve been given as a curse'. i am new here but id like to ask a question - is schizophrenia an illness??

HI Stan

Schizophrenia is a mental illness characterised by a very specific range of symptoms which are assessed and measured against approved diagnostic tools.

There are a range of Schizotypical illnesses of which it is one.

Yes @stan it is an illness in psychiatric history,

Yet I know 3 people who successfully reintegrated into community and found it more empowering not to accept "schizophrenia" as a label. Those people actually did not do the "right" thing by me, personally, so i guess I was not a part of the community they were motivated to "impress". however ... they still had relatively good life outcomes

There are definitely states of mind and difficulties that people face that can not just be easily shaken off by the will. I have no doubt that accumulation of serious neglect and abuse can damage people for long periods of time or permanently.

Yet I still think it is important to be careful about glibly accepting the DSM as a new bible as society generally rejects the old Judaeo-christian tradition and bible. Sometimes people are motivated .... by an "its not me" ... "its them" ...mentality etc.

I am very curious about how the MI - MH landscape will look a century into the future.

Despite a period recently of being very low, for me recovery is life now. When I went to see the GP, not very empathising IMHO, she suggested a medication change. I was horrified as most give me tardive dyskinesia . Her other suggestion was to see a public Psych. For unresolved issues. I have spent most of my life in freaking therapy.......my experience of the public system in Qld was so horrible, I am allergic to public psych system.

I survived despite everything. I live happily in a country town, with good friends, and there is a good peer support group here.

i understand that I have 1-3 bad periods a year, and through the peer support group has run programs for planning for those periods. I think having survived 4 decades does contribute to keeping safe. The only thing I have never been able to attain has been a life mate, but I think loneliness is a part of being human. Having returned to my faith has been of great support and nurturing. This forum has been of great help to me too,

I respect your position @Neb.

We dont need to be more pathologised than any symptoms we actually experience. Sorry you had a bad time at GP but at least you havesome face to face support groups.

The tertiary institutions are churning out people but empathy is not high on their course lists.

There are many riches in the old ways and traditions.

hmmm,

My husband tells me that Schizophrenia is an illness but Ive always thought it as a condition.

But remembering the sefinition of 'recovery," in the nearby Psyche hospital and thinking that this is not the only thing that needs to be updated. I cannot actually remember what they wrote though.

My recovery definition changes as well.

Shouldnt we all try and write a paragraph on our own definition of Recovery??