Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Self-Efficacy

I was doing some research earlier this week, when I came across an article that was titled “Schizophrenia Training Program On Self-Efficacy Improves Lives” The articles said “When stress was reduced, patients reported on improvement in symptoms, which meant enhancement of their well-being and quality of life.” They did this by learning Self-Efficacy. I believe I have had the same experience. As I’ve stated before in earlier blogs, I was at the State Hospital. One of the things I did to relieve stress and to think positive, was read and study positive thinking. Because we shared dorm rooms and I could not always play music, so reading was quieter. I read a pamphlet called “Positive Living” it was published by Norman Vincent Peale. I had read his book entitled “Positive Thinking” before and knew about these pamphlets and wrote him and asked if he could send them to me. He only charged me a dollar a year, because I did not have much money there. They had stories of people who used positive thinking and how it changed their lives for the better. I like reading stories how something changed some ones life around or they beat all odds. I than say to myself if they can do so can I. That monthly magazine helped me survive the hospital. I shared it with others there also. When I was released from the State Hospital, I bought all his books and donated money so others could receive that little magazine for a dollar a year. His books helped me change my life a lot, because before I was a negative thinking person. When you are an alcoholic and told you have a mental illness for the rest of your life. That is not positive. His book also helped me through college, especially speech class. By using the positive thinking it gave me the Self –Efficacy to communicate and social skills in the class, to meet and talk to people I normally would not have. I did the entire class about positive thinking, including using audio cassettes of Norman’s books. I received a B+ for that class which I thought was pretty good. Since I am a quiet person and did not at the time like giving speeches. It was also hard to overcome the stigma of a mental illness. I also told the class that I had a mental illness and it was not received as bad as I thought it would. It really was one of the best classes and met some of my classmates out of class. It was the only class I ever told that I had a mental illness. The research on this Self-Efficacy is right I believe. Do you think Self-Efficacy would help symptoms and reduce stress?

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