Essential Elements of a Mental Illness Recovery Plan

By Debra Hoppe

v  Obtain a psychiatrist.

A person with mental illness needs to obtain a psychiatrist in order to plan some sort of recovery.  One way to do that is to talk to a psychiatrist and ask them how to get started in your recovery.  The psychiatrist should ask you some questions and come up with some sort of solution to your recovery need.  It may take more than one visit so be patient and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

v  Obtain a therapist.

You also need a therapist to assist you in your recovery needs.  A therapist will help you learn more about yourself and try to figure out the best solution for your care.  They will ask you important questions so you need to be thorough and honest so they can get the full picture to help the process along.

v  Study, Study, Study!

Study all you can about your condition be it bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or depression.  A person needs to have the knowledge to understand how to get the treatment they need for their recovery.  Study from the library at NAMI-MT (National Alliance on Mental Illness) at 616 Helena Ave. Ste 218, Helena, MT 59601 or go to a library near you.  You will find that your care will go much farther if you have the knowledge to back up your healthcare team.

v  Go online.

The internet is one of the best ways to find information so a person can grow in their recovery.  NAMI-MT has a website address at www.namimt.org.  There you will find a whole host of links that will assist you in following a specific type of care.  You can also find our blog so you can interact with the folks at NAMI-MT and find new ways to learn about recovery.  A person can also learn about the classes that are available in your area.

v  Join a group. 

Group therapy will encourage a person to grow and conquer their fears about recovery.  Fears are a scary thing that can be managed by a group setting.  It may take more time than a person is willing to allow.  The outcome will be overwhelming but will also be rewarding as well.

v  Don’t give up! 

Consistency with your recovery is important because it helps a person to be healthy and eventually be confident about the type of care they are receiving.  Consistency also gives a person the right to say yes or no about the type of care.  In this day and age, a person needs to be careful in handling their care as to not be influenced by the people around you.  Only you know what your body needs and know how you feel so don’t give up!

v  Take your meds. 

This is one of the most important things that cannot be overlooked because the health of a person depends on taking your meds.  Some of the side effects can be experienced if you don’t take your meds.  For bipolar disorder, a person can go from one episode to another.  An episode is where you experience mania one day and depression another day.  This can be a terrifying problem.  That is why it is important to take you medication.

v  Keep busy. 

Idol minds are not a person’s friend.  It breeds unwanted behaviors and danger.  The unwanted behaviors may be alcoholism, drug use or even incarceration.  No one wants to have a bad behavior experience.  Take up a hobby or go for a walk.  Mindfulness exercises are a great way to alleviate the pressures of everyday stress.  A mindfulness exercise may include deep breathing or a brisk walk in the park or watching a squirrel jump by as you fish in a nearby lake or stream.  What fun it would be to see a bald eagle on a boat trip in the Gates of the Mountains on the Missouri river north of Helena.

v  Get involved in your community.

Take the initiative to learn all you can about your local, state and federal government.  The outcome will be an experience you can treasure the rest of your life.  A person can be positive about the people they elect or vote them out of office and take charge of their countries future.  It takes a person that can feel good about themselves and that is why getting involved would be a great choice.  Feel in charge of your life by getting involved.

v  Have faith. 

Faith is important to have so a person can feel complete.  All of the previous accomplishments can be done individually but faith should be an important part of the process.  Faith believes in something that you can’t see.  A person can feel the love but can they see it?  You have to decide something like that for yourself.  A person can love in all types of ways.  Faith helps a person understand right from wrong, between good and bad.  Faith can come as a comfort in a person’s life.  It does to me.

v  Don’t judge! 

Stigma is a negative attitude.  It hurts people to the point of possible suicide.  It is embarrassing and hurtful.  A person will feel better about themselves if you don’t judge and that is a good feeling for all.

v  Spend time with friends or family. 

Friends and family should be the type of support group that is helpful to the recovery plan.  Encouragement can be the thing a person needs to become more healthy and happy.  Having a support group helps a person to grow so they can be an important part of their community, state or nation.

This twelve step recovery plan has helped me in my life and maybe it will help you as well.  I hope you learned how to take some positive steps on how to plan your life as a healthy individual.  Thank you for your time and I hope to be teaching you more about how to plan your recovery.