Hello, all!
Medication is a hot topic in the mental health world. As many of us are painfully aware, one extreme says that all mental health challenges should be treated with pharmaceuticals, and the other extreme believes that no one should ever take mental health medications. No individual can accurately represent every person in the community, because we are all unique. We have different experiences, different ideologies, and different brains. I know some people will disagree with me, and I respect that; but I would like to share my perspective on medication.
For years, I thought that medication was a “last resort.” I struggled against the winter blues without any chemical assistance. When I needed help, I only ever went the behavioral route: seeking therapy, keeping myself productive with a job, and engaging in creative expression. These things were all wonderful for me, and usually enough to get me through my depressive episodes. Sometimes, though, it wasn’t enough, and I would sink deeply into unhealthy and self-destructive thoughts. Still, I refused to give medication a try. I thought it was only for the truly desperate, and that taking it would mean I was too weak to get over my problems on my own. Sure, some people needed medication, but if it wasn’t a dire need, why should I try it?
With more thought, I have come to the conclusion that I was dead wrong. Medication does not have to be a last resort, reserved for “hopeless cases.” Nor is it by any means a cure-all that every one with symptoms should take. Nor must it be feared and rejected as a means to oppress the mentally ill (Yes, I have qualms with an over-medicated populace, as well as the financial and political strength of pharmaceutical companies, but issues like these are not my focus at present).
Medication is just a tool. It’s just a tool that I can use to provide extra support in a difficult time.
When I have a cold, I take a decongestant. It doesn’t cure the cold; it treats the symptoms while my own white blood cells track down the virus in my body and destroy it. Without the decongestant, the days it takes to fight off the cold are extremely uncomfortable. If I broke my leg, I would wear a cast. The cast would not heal my leg; it would stabilize the limb until my bones knit themselves back together. Without the cast, I would risk re-injury instead of allowing it to heal.
I have been stuck in a serious depressive slump for more than half a year. Through my own thought process and with the advice of my therapist and my doctor, I have come to the conclusion that I can take an anti-depressant. The medication will not heal me; it will provide a little more stability and make me even more able to overcome my challenges. Without the medication, recovery would still be possible, just more difficult.
With this perspective, I now know I have nothing about which to feel ashamed. I am facing challenges that not everyone has to face, and I am using the tools at my disposal to improve my situation. I have major depression. I see a therapist, I work, I exercise, I spend time with friends, and I write creatively. Now, I am also giving medication a try. I am not “crazy,” “useless” or somehow tainted by “mental illness.” I am just a person, trying to be a happier person, like everyone else.
Thanks for hearing me out. If you would like to share your thoughts, comments, opinions, experiences or even creative writing, email it to cmrlcblog@gmail.com. Appropriate submissions will be published on our blog.
By: Deanna “Berry” Cassidy
Central Mass RLC
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Peer Spotlight: Brooke Shields
Hello, Peers!
I love running into the recovery stories of successful Peers. It makes me think, “If he had these problems, and still managed a career of fame and riches, then I have that same potential in me!” Maybe I don’t have the same luck when it comes to my Big Break in Hollywood, but sometimes success means getting out of bed, washing up and holding down a regular job.
One of my favorite famous role models started her modeling career at the age of eleven months, and her career has included advertisements, runway modeling, movies, big Hollywood films, and several television shows... but even she experienced the extreme emotional and mental complications of Postpartum Depression. Since, then, she has been bringing awareness to the condition, and advocating for the health of mothers and their new babies: yes, from Ivory Snow ads to Suddenly Susan and beyond, I’m talking about Brooke Shields.
Shields’ difficulties began with the conception of her first child. She and her husband resorted to in vitro fertilization, which puts mothers at a higher risk for Postpartum Depression. The birthing process was also especially difficult to bear: it happened not long after the suicide of a dear friend and the death of her father. In addition, the labor itself was complicated by the umbilical cord wrapping around the baby’s neck and an emergency Cesarean section.
Shields sank into Postpartum Depression within a few weeks of giving birth. Her worst symptoms included suicidal thoughts, and fantasies of her infant daughter being physically injured. She explained that her fantasies did not include causing her baby harm, but this is also a common symptom of Postpartum Depression. Shields found herself crying more than her newborn daughter, and unable to bond with the infant in the ways that usually come naturally to mothers. At first, her doctor and those closest to her thought she was simply going through the “baby blues.”
After a few months of suffering, Shields’ doctor finally diagnosed her with Postpartum Depression. She learned as much as possible about the condition, began therapy and started a course of medication. The support of her doctor, therapist, friends and family helped Shields through her difficult time, as well as the empowerment that comes with information. Since then, she has worked towards spreading the information as much as possible, so that families at risk of being impacted by Postpartum Depression know how to recognize it and how to get through it.
Shields’ path to recovery was slower than she may like, but we can definitely count her among our successful Peers. After the birth of her second child, she required no medication and managed to bond with her baby without the crippling effects of Postpartum Depression. One resource for more information on Postpartum Depression is WebMD.
Thanks for reading. As always if you have ablog to share, or an idea for one, email cmrlcblog@gmail.com.
Author: Deanna “Berry” Cassidy
Central Massachusetts Recovery Learning Community
I love running into the recovery stories of successful Peers. It makes me think, “If he had these problems, and still managed a career of fame and riches, then I have that same potential in me!” Maybe I don’t have the same luck when it comes to my Big Break in Hollywood, but sometimes success means getting out of bed, washing up and holding down a regular job.
One of my favorite famous role models started her modeling career at the age of eleven months, and her career has included advertisements, runway modeling, movies, big Hollywood films, and several television shows... but even she experienced the extreme emotional and mental complications of Postpartum Depression. Since, then, she has been bringing awareness to the condition, and advocating for the health of mothers and their new babies: yes, from Ivory Snow ads to Suddenly Susan and beyond, I’m talking about Brooke Shields.
Shields’ difficulties began with the conception of her first child. She and her husband resorted to in vitro fertilization, which puts mothers at a higher risk for Postpartum Depression. The birthing process was also especially difficult to bear: it happened not long after the suicide of a dear friend and the death of her father. In addition, the labor itself was complicated by the umbilical cord wrapping around the baby’s neck and an emergency Cesarean section.
Shields sank into Postpartum Depression within a few weeks of giving birth. Her worst symptoms included suicidal thoughts, and fantasies of her infant daughter being physically injured. She explained that her fantasies did not include causing her baby harm, but this is also a common symptom of Postpartum Depression. Shields found herself crying more than her newborn daughter, and unable to bond with the infant in the ways that usually come naturally to mothers. At first, her doctor and those closest to her thought she was simply going through the “baby blues.”
After a few months of suffering, Shields’ doctor finally diagnosed her with Postpartum Depression. She learned as much as possible about the condition, began therapy and started a course of medication. The support of her doctor, therapist, friends and family helped Shields through her difficult time, as well as the empowerment that comes with information. Since then, she has worked towards spreading the information as much as possible, so that families at risk of being impacted by Postpartum Depression know how to recognize it and how to get through it.
Shields’ path to recovery was slower than she may like, but we can definitely count her among our successful Peers. After the birth of her second child, she required no medication and managed to bond with her baby without the crippling effects of Postpartum Depression. One resource for more information on Postpartum Depression is WebMD.
Thanks for reading. As always if you have ablog to share, or an idea for one, email cmrlcblog@gmail.com.
Author: Deanna “Berry” Cassidy
Central Massachusetts Recovery Learning Community
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Peer Spotlight: Elton John
Hello, all.
This time, we’re turning the spotlight on a peer who has spent more than forty years in the public eye. His decades of fame included at least sixteen years of struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, as well as the eating disorder bulimia. He finally overcame his pride to ask for help, and in 1991 took the first steps to living a drug-free life. With his distinguished musical career, it’s highly likely he has created at least one song that you’ll like: Sir Elton John.
Born in Great Britain on March 25, 1947 with the name Reginald Kenneth Dwight, Elton John proved to be musically gifted at a young age. He began playing the piano at age 4, and received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at age 11. His professional career in music began shortly before he was going to graduate, and has since included five Grammy Awards between 1986-2000, the Grammy Legend Award in 2001, and the Kennedy Center Honor in 2004. It’s clear to see that music has always been his greatest strength.
Life as a public figure, the stresses of performance and his access to great wealth led John to his problems with alcohol and drug abuse. He also developed bulimia, an eating disorder in which the peer binges (eats in excess), and then purges (gets rid of the eaten food quickly by over-exercising, inducing vomiting, or ingesting laxatives). At what Elton John describes as “the height of his unhappiness,” he was approaching the unhealthy weight of 300 pounds and appeared to have aged severely before his time. He was prone to emotional extremes, sometimes throwing tantrums like a young child.
After sixteen years of living under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Elton John finally said the three most important words of his life: “I need help.” It wasn’t until a close friend went into a rehabilitation clinic that John realized his condition was out of his control. He went into a hospital in Chicago, and his path to recovery has helped him establish positive things in his life.
Since beginning his journey to recovery, Elton John has learned how to live a healthier life, and encourage others to do so. He can now have a healthy, monogamous relationship. He no longer engages in the risky behaviors that can lead to HIV and other diseases. He has also created the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and has been pivotal in raising funds for other worthy causes, including breast cancer.
And, of course, he is still creating wold-renowned music!
Thanks for reading, and as always, if you have something to post on the Central MA Recovery Learning Community blog, send it along to cmrlcblog@gmail.com.
Author: Deanna “Berry” Cassidy
Central Mass RLC
This time, we’re turning the spotlight on a peer who has spent more than forty years in the public eye. His decades of fame included at least sixteen years of struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, as well as the eating disorder bulimia. He finally overcame his pride to ask for help, and in 1991 took the first steps to living a drug-free life. With his distinguished musical career, it’s highly likely he has created at least one song that you’ll like: Sir Elton John.
Born in Great Britain on March 25, 1947 with the name Reginald Kenneth Dwight, Elton John proved to be musically gifted at a young age. He began playing the piano at age 4, and received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at age 11. His professional career in music began shortly before he was going to graduate, and has since included five Grammy Awards between 1986-2000, the Grammy Legend Award in 2001, and the Kennedy Center Honor in 2004. It’s clear to see that music has always been his greatest strength.
Life as a public figure, the stresses of performance and his access to great wealth led John to his problems with alcohol and drug abuse. He also developed bulimia, an eating disorder in which the peer binges (eats in excess), and then purges (gets rid of the eaten food quickly by over-exercising, inducing vomiting, or ingesting laxatives). At what Elton John describes as “the height of his unhappiness,” he was approaching the unhealthy weight of 300 pounds and appeared to have aged severely before his time. He was prone to emotional extremes, sometimes throwing tantrums like a young child.
After sixteen years of living under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Elton John finally said the three most important words of his life: “I need help.” It wasn’t until a close friend went into a rehabilitation clinic that John realized his condition was out of his control. He went into a hospital in Chicago, and his path to recovery has helped him establish positive things in his life.
Since beginning his journey to recovery, Elton John has learned how to live a healthier life, and encourage others to do so. He can now have a healthy, monogamous relationship. He no longer engages in the risky behaviors that can lead to HIV and other diseases. He has also created the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and has been pivotal in raising funds for other worthy causes, including breast cancer.
And, of course, he is still creating wold-renowned music!
Thanks for reading, and as always, if you have something to post on the Central MA Recovery Learning Community blog, send it along to cmrlcblog@gmail.com.
Author: Deanna “Berry” Cassidy
Central Mass RLC
Sources
“Biography for Elton John.” IMDB.com. Web. 11 May 2011
“Elton John - A Biography.” EltonJohn.com. Web. 11 May 2011
Elton John. Interview by Larry King. Larry King Live. CNN. 25 January 2002. Transcripts.CNN.com. Web. 11 May 2011
“Sir Elton John Biography.” Biography.com. Web. 11 May 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Recovery Story: Stephanie
I compare my life to water sometimes I feel like a little raindrop
small and overlooked by people and things , and sometimes I feel like
a stream soothed at peace and worry free, but there are days I feel like a
tsunami l I feel like everything is chaos , and destruction.
I feel like I am the nature I am the calm and the strong voice of the ocean
lulling tides , I the voice of an cherub of the choir at times, put I can also be
the voice of the misery , and pain and pessimism . As you can see my greatest
attribute is writing this is my passion and strength and what keeps me going
in life.
Truth be told when I was young my mind as a writer was untamed like a
mustang, I would create my own world of dreams and fantasies in my head
that sometimes that might not be that pleasant.
some thoughts were scary and somewhere sad, and sometimes I felt like I had
no control over the movies and scripts that were playing like twelve O clock
matinee madness.
I also had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder I was obsessed with
fairies ,unicorns, and dragons, I wished to be a princess in faraway kingdom
one that resin with sparkle and glittery silver and gold. I wished to wear
gowns of ivory white and be fair maiden on a pure magical blue eyed beast.
All those ideas changed when I watched horror movies.
I even thought I was once posed by Ouija board, I also believed that chucky
and Freddy Krueger were real and they wanted to catch me where ever I
went by myself .
I also had OCD thinking things that made me happy were, just silly or stupid
or not worth it. There were also days when I felt like I was living in a dream
and sleeping on foot and I couldn't control my speech or anything and I just
rattle off on tangents.
When I was at the pits my lowest state of mind I felt tiny microscopic bugs
all over me and begun to scratch at nothing, I also was sensitive to hot and
cold, and everything when I was manic seemed more keen and dramatic. I
would literally cry over split milk over anything , I was angry and depressed
and couldn't get out of it.
So I'd shut down I was like king Midas instead of gold I had a rueful touch.
I felt like everyone I touched would turn into bellowing heaps of garbage
because I was making a such a stink.
What took me away from reality was my writing , but it also guided me to
truth and ways to look back on myself , also others accepted for who I was
and came to support me when I was OCD or Manic.
I also take medication now it is not for everyone and there certain formulas
that work for certain people ,but it worked for me.
I also focus on my goals big and small like taking care of myself , and trying
to get published . RLC helps me a lot with my fears and stress they are
non judgmental and great group to socialize with.
I to had overcome a lot letting people know my specific needs because I'm
a little different I also have a right brain impairment and sometimes it was
hard for me to learn and I keep making the same mistakes over and over
with friends and especially boys. Now I overcome it by talking, writing,
singing, cooking and using coping methods even spending time with nature
and animals.
Today I got here with practice and patients practice makes perfect like
always say . It's great to have plenty of patients because you will make plenty
of mistakes in life if you learn from that is great, but if you hold it against
yourself and never grow from it you hide in your shell and never get tough.
I focus on goals and taking little baby steps to accomplishing them you
can't just become something overnight therefore it takes time and effort and
precision. Your life is like a musical instrument you must the right chords the
work for you.
Recovery to me is looking in mirror everyday and being proud of feats and
goals that you know you've accomplished it is also a wiliness to learn about
yourself through the hard and easy and coming out knowing your ok.
Staying on the right path is hard at times ,you must always follow your heart
and gut when something does feel right don't do it or ask someone if it's ok or
get help, always believe in yourself.
know that pain is real but those who struggle in pain come out to be better
and nicer people and there is light at the end of tunnel like my dad used to say
there is silver lining to every cloud. We are clouds and there is special sparkle
in all of us that makes up the dynamics that we are good luck and shine , like
the sparkle stay true to yourself and your talents that broaden the sky.
By Stephanie
small and overlooked by people and things , and sometimes I feel like
a stream soothed at peace and worry free, but there are days I feel like a
tsunami l I feel like everything is chaos , and destruction.
I feel like I am the nature I am the calm and the strong voice of the ocean
lulling tides , I the voice of an cherub of the choir at times, put I can also be
the voice of the misery , and pain and pessimism . As you can see my greatest
attribute is writing this is my passion and strength and what keeps me going
in life.
Truth be told when I was young my mind as a writer was untamed like a
mustang, I would create my own world of dreams and fantasies in my head
that sometimes that might not be that pleasant.
some thoughts were scary and somewhere sad, and sometimes I felt like I had
no control over the movies and scripts that were playing like twelve O clock
matinee madness.
I also had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder I was obsessed with
fairies ,unicorns, and dragons, I wished to be a princess in faraway kingdom
one that resin with sparkle and glittery silver and gold. I wished to wear
gowns of ivory white and be fair maiden on a pure magical blue eyed beast.
All those ideas changed when I watched horror movies.
I even thought I was once posed by Ouija board, I also believed that chucky
and Freddy Krueger were real and they wanted to catch me where ever I
went by myself .
I also had OCD thinking things that made me happy were, just silly or stupid
or not worth it. There were also days when I felt like I was living in a dream
and sleeping on foot and I couldn't control my speech or anything and I just
rattle off on tangents.
When I was at the pits my lowest state of mind I felt tiny microscopic bugs
all over me and begun to scratch at nothing, I also was sensitive to hot and
cold, and everything when I was manic seemed more keen and dramatic. I
would literally cry over split milk over anything , I was angry and depressed
and couldn't get out of it.
So I'd shut down I was like king Midas instead of gold I had a rueful touch.
I felt like everyone I touched would turn into bellowing heaps of garbage
because I was making a such a stink.
What took me away from reality was my writing , but it also guided me to
truth and ways to look back on myself , also others accepted for who I was
and came to support me when I was OCD or Manic.
I also take medication now it is not for everyone and there certain formulas
that work for certain people ,but it worked for me.
I also focus on my goals big and small like taking care of myself , and trying
to get published . RLC helps me a lot with my fears and stress they are
non judgmental and great group to socialize with.
I to had overcome a lot letting people know my specific needs because I'm
a little different I also have a right brain impairment and sometimes it was
hard for me to learn and I keep making the same mistakes over and over
with friends and especially boys. Now I overcome it by talking, writing,
singing, cooking and using coping methods even spending time with nature
and animals.
Today I got here with practice and patients practice makes perfect like
always say . It's great to have plenty of patients because you will make plenty
of mistakes in life if you learn from that is great, but if you hold it against
yourself and never grow from it you hide in your shell and never get tough.
I focus on goals and taking little baby steps to accomplishing them you
can't just become something overnight therefore it takes time and effort and
precision. Your life is like a musical instrument you must the right chords the
work for you.
Recovery to me is looking in mirror everyday and being proud of feats and
goals that you know you've accomplished it is also a wiliness to learn about
yourself through the hard and easy and coming out knowing your ok.
Staying on the right path is hard at times ,you must always follow your heart
and gut when something does feel right don't do it or ask someone if it's ok or
get help, always believe in yourself.
know that pain is real but those who struggle in pain come out to be better
and nicer people and there is light at the end of tunnel like my dad used to say
there is silver lining to every cloud. We are clouds and there is special sparkle
in all of us that makes up the dynamics that we are good luck and shine , like
the sparkle stay true to yourself and your talents that broaden the sky.
By Stephanie
Friday, April 15, 2011
Peer Spotlight: Paula Deen
Hello, all!
Today I figured it was time to turn the spotlight onto the success story of someone who has lived experience with mental/emotional extremes. This peer of ours suffered from depression and severe agoraphobia (fear of crowds and public places), but turned her pursuit of comfort into an attainable dream. Whether you are a fan of her easy, flavorful recipes or a critic of her kitchen shortcuts and use of butter, there is something very valuable to learned from Paula Deen.
Deen’s mental/emotional challenges struck at a very formative period during her adulthood. She was married at age eighteen and started having children at nineteen (remember, neurologists say the human brain isn’t fully developed until about age twenty-four). When she was twenty-three, Deen’s parents both died tragically, leaving her young, responsible for small children, and except for a busy husband, alone. Anyone would be sad under such circumstances. For Deen, it triggered a twenty-year slump of depression and agoraphobia.
She hardly ever left the house. She did occasionally make it into the supermarket, but never very far. She often had to cook with the ingredients that are closest to the door. For comfort, Deen took to her kitchen, practicing the Southern-style recipes her grandmother had taught her until each dish came out perfectly every time. Besides herself, only Deen’s husband was aware of the extent of her mental/emotional challenges, and he was less than supportive. In an act of desperation, she reached out to her Pastor for guidance, crying to him for the better part of an hour. He then called her a “spoiled brat.”
When Deen’s first marriage dissolved, she was suddenly faced with the challenge of independent living. Again, her kitchen provided her with comfort--and a solution to her problems. She started with a very small catering business, making boxed lunches which her sons then sold to businessmen. Hard work and perseverance led Deen to running her own restaurant.
That is Paula Deen’s recovery story. The rest comes from a mixture of talent and luck. A publisher ate at her restaurant and decided that she should have a cookbook. Its first edition sold like wild on QVC, launching her to the status of celebrity chef with multiple cookbooks, two television shows and her own magazine. Deen is married again, and still thriving in her kitchen. She has even published a memoir, It Ain’t All About the Cookin’, in which she candidly discusses the good and bad parts of her life.
I love telling Deen’s story because she was able turn her comfort zone--cooking in her kitchen--into a productive way to interact with the world. It takes a lot of strength to overcome challenges to mental and emotional health, and though Deen was caught in depression and agoraphobia for twenty years, she worked her way towards recovery. This is exactly the kind of story that any of us Peers can have.
Thanks for reading, and as always, if you have something to post on the Central MA Recovery Learning Community blog, send it along to cmrlcblog@gmail.com.
Author: Deanna “Berry” Cassidy
Central Mass RLC
Today I figured it was time to turn the spotlight onto the success story of someone who has lived experience with mental/emotional extremes. This peer of ours suffered from depression and severe agoraphobia (fear of crowds and public places), but turned her pursuit of comfort into an attainable dream. Whether you are a fan of her easy, flavorful recipes or a critic of her kitchen shortcuts and use of butter, there is something very valuable to learned from Paula Deen.
Deen’s mental/emotional challenges struck at a very formative period during her adulthood. She was married at age eighteen and started having children at nineteen (remember, neurologists say the human brain isn’t fully developed until about age twenty-four). When she was twenty-three, Deen’s parents both died tragically, leaving her young, responsible for small children, and except for a busy husband, alone. Anyone would be sad under such circumstances. For Deen, it triggered a twenty-year slump of depression and agoraphobia.
She hardly ever left the house. She did occasionally make it into the supermarket, but never very far. She often had to cook with the ingredients that are closest to the door. For comfort, Deen took to her kitchen, practicing the Southern-style recipes her grandmother had taught her until each dish came out perfectly every time. Besides herself, only Deen’s husband was aware of the extent of her mental/emotional challenges, and he was less than supportive. In an act of desperation, she reached out to her Pastor for guidance, crying to him for the better part of an hour. He then called her a “spoiled brat.”
When Deen’s first marriage dissolved, she was suddenly faced with the challenge of independent living. Again, her kitchen provided her with comfort--and a solution to her problems. She started with a very small catering business, making boxed lunches which her sons then sold to businessmen. Hard work and perseverance led Deen to running her own restaurant.
That is Paula Deen’s recovery story. The rest comes from a mixture of talent and luck. A publisher ate at her restaurant and decided that she should have a cookbook. Its first edition sold like wild on QVC, launching her to the status of celebrity chef with multiple cookbooks, two television shows and her own magazine. Deen is married again, and still thriving in her kitchen. She has even published a memoir, It Ain’t All About the Cookin’, in which she candidly discusses the good and bad parts of her life.
I love telling Deen’s story because she was able turn her comfort zone--cooking in her kitchen--into a productive way to interact with the world. It takes a lot of strength to overcome challenges to mental and emotional health, and though Deen was caught in depression and agoraphobia for twenty years, she worked her way towards recovery. This is exactly the kind of story that any of us Peers can have.
Thanks for reading, and as always, if you have something to post on the Central MA Recovery Learning Community blog, send it along to cmrlcblog@gmail.com.
Author: Deanna “Berry” Cassidy
Central Mass RLC
Sources
Moskin, Julia. “From Phobia to Fame: A Southern Cook’s Memoir.” nytimes.com. The New York Times. 28 February 2007. Web. 14 April 2011.
“Paula’s Story.” Pauladeen.com. Web. 14 April 2011.
Pitcher, Bill. “33 Minutes with Paula Deen.” njmg.typepad.com. Second Helpings. 25 April 2007. Web. 14 April 2011.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Your Recovery Story
Hello, all!
I’d first like to thank Alex for submitting a recovery story. It’s great that we peers can connect even over the web to provide support and hope to each other.
If you would like to share your recovery story, please do! We can put it up under any name you like, whether it’s your own, something made up, just initials or the ever-mysterious “anonymous.” Try to include the answers to some or all of the following questions:
1. What are some of your passions and strengths?
2. What were some of the early indications that you were beginning to have difficulties?
3. Briefly describe yourself and your condition when you were at your worst.
4. What helped you move from where you were to where you are now? What did you do? What did others do?
5. What have you had to overcome to get to where you are today?
6. What have you learned about yourself and what we call recovery? What are some of the strengths you have developed?
7. What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself on the right path?
Write as much or as little as you’d like, but please keep it rated “G” or “PG.” Email it to cmrlcblog@gmail.com, and help build this community by bringing us together.
Author: Deanna “Berry” Cassidy
Central Mass RLC
I’d first like to thank Alex for submitting a recovery story. It’s great that we peers can connect even over the web to provide support and hope to each other.
If you would like to share your recovery story, please do! We can put it up under any name you like, whether it’s your own, something made up, just initials or the ever-mysterious “anonymous.” Try to include the answers to some or all of the following questions:
1. What are some of your passions and strengths?
2. What were some of the early indications that you were beginning to have difficulties?
3. Briefly describe yourself and your condition when you were at your worst.
4. What helped you move from where you were to where you are now? What did you do? What did others do?
5. What have you had to overcome to get to where you are today?
6. What have you learned about yourself and what we call recovery? What are some of the strengths you have developed?
7. What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself on the right path?
Write as much or as little as you’d like, but please keep it rated “G” or “PG.” Email it to cmrlcblog@gmail.com, and help build this community by bringing us together.
Author: Deanna “Berry” Cassidy
Central Mass RLC
Recovery Story: Alex
My strongest feature is my imagination. When I was a little kid I used it to make up my own versions of fairy tales, often involving horses in the place of people, or using my toys to reenact movies I saw. Even my Barbies had well-established character arcs. My favorite one was a special occasion Barbie doll with red hair instead of blonde. Because she was different, I usually made her the “bad guy” in the dramas of my dolls’ lives, and I liked her the best because she was the most dynamic and interesting one. I eventually grew out of having dolls act out my stories and into writing them down.
The earliest indication that I was going crazy happened when I was really, really little. I hated brushing my teeth before bed, not because I didn’t like dental hygiene, but because I was afraid to spend so much time on the side of the house with the bathroom all alone in the evenings. I was convinced someone was watching me. It really annoyed my father--he thought I was making it up for attention, or told me that it was all in my imagination.
When I’m at my worst, I’m convinced that there are beings all around me that no one else can see, watching me; that inanimate objects, especially the floor and large pieces of furniture, want to hurt/smother/devour me; and that I am not worthy of eating food.
The best thing I can do for myself when I’m out of touch is ground myself in the here and now. I engage my hands in some activity, usually knitting, cleaning or playing video games. I also engage my senses of sight and hearing, usually by putting on a movie or a TV show. I can’t pay any attention to people who exist inside my head if I’m connecting to people or characters who exist outside my head.
To get where I am today, I had to fight against severe anxiety, suicidal depression and the fear that I will lose my ability to distinguish what is real and what is not real. To be honest, I still have to fight that from time to time. That’s what Recovery means to me... it isn’t a “cure,” it’s an ongoing process. But I’ve figured out how to use my strong imagination for the better. When I’m afraid of the things I know aren’t really there, I tell myself that they don’t exist on the physical level. They’re there on the mental level, and though I may be limited in the “real world,” in my head I can be as strong and all-powerful as a superhero, or some kind of magician. The invisible things watching me can’t compete.
Author: Alex W.
The earliest indication that I was going crazy happened when I was really, really little. I hated brushing my teeth before bed, not because I didn’t like dental hygiene, but because I was afraid to spend so much time on the side of the house with the bathroom all alone in the evenings. I was convinced someone was watching me. It really annoyed my father--he thought I was making it up for attention, or told me that it was all in my imagination.
When I’m at my worst, I’m convinced that there are beings all around me that no one else can see, watching me; that inanimate objects, especially the floor and large pieces of furniture, want to hurt/smother/devour me; and that I am not worthy of eating food.
The best thing I can do for myself when I’m out of touch is ground myself in the here and now. I engage my hands in some activity, usually knitting, cleaning or playing video games. I also engage my senses of sight and hearing, usually by putting on a movie or a TV show. I can’t pay any attention to people who exist inside my head if I’m connecting to people or characters who exist outside my head.
To get where I am today, I had to fight against severe anxiety, suicidal depression and the fear that I will lose my ability to distinguish what is real and what is not real. To be honest, I still have to fight that from time to time. That’s what Recovery means to me... it isn’t a “cure,” it’s an ongoing process. But I’ve figured out how to use my strong imagination for the better. When I’m afraid of the things I know aren’t really there, I tell myself that they don’t exist on the physical level. They’re there on the mental level, and though I may be limited in the “real world,” in my head I can be as strong and all-powerful as a superhero, or some kind of magician. The invisible things watching me can’t compete.
Author: Alex W.
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