Recovery through spirituality

Here is another blog by a coworker at Evaluation and Research
Many people who have become diagnosed with a mental illness feel at one time or another that in their suffering they will become cured due to some greater power, neglecting the help they are receiving from their clinician or doctor, hoping they will overcome their state of illness.
I am dual diagnosed taking multiple medications and have often in the past beforehand felt and finally overcame the illusions of reaching this spiritual avenue, that would help me to overcome my illness. Being dual-diagnosed, the medications calmed the "demons", yet I heard that one statement which many have tried to follow from a clinician, as advice, "Your spiritual higher power will give you strength." Climbing out of the corner, a person whom is mentally ill must learn that the obliterated self, is strong enough to seek answers with professional help and can begin to realize they can not be forever suppressed by their fears all of this takes thought, this in turn can be seen as spiritual.
Recovery I learned is not all medicine, with diagnosis, its sharing, and facing the light within you that you want to touch of the self to conceive a declaration you are free.

Fear and Thriving

I don't adhere to the typical Mental Health Model. I am a paranoid shizophrenic, so this story has a lot of meaning to me. I first heard about the Four Agreements through the 2 succeed newsletter and they also have a blog which is the link. I went and bought it and the other two by Miguel Ruiz. One of the others is called Voice of Knowledge. I also bought the Mastery of Love which I own in hard copy and on audio book. The four agreements are do your best, be impeccable with your word, especially to yourself. The third and fourth agreement is don't make assumptions and don't take it personal. When you follow these it makes life easier. I am going to write about the mastery of love, even though I like them all. I think the mastery of love book really hits home and puts it straight. It tells how a person is shy because of fear. The same way when we try to have a relationship, jealousy is fear based also. It is that most of life is rules by fear. It has helped me make it through this life a little easier. I'm learning and not as a person with a mental illness, but as a regular person. I usually forget I have a mental illness. Even when I take my medicine, I do it by routine and do not even realize why I take it. These books are a form of meditation for me. I read one in the morning, before I leave for work and listen to the other on the way to work with my mp3 player. I do also listen to music, but take turns with the books and music. I just bought a new one from anazon called Beyond Fear by Miguel Ruiz. I will let you know how that one is. What do you think.

Realization

To realize you have a mental illness is to realize you are making a change. Going beyond the dust storm in the mind and the slow shuffling gait of indecision takes acceptance and willingness to face such turmoil.
Once your mind is open to see there is a differnce between yourself and your own thoughts, you will want to make a change. The messages are no longer mixed and anyone can believe in living again. Long walks, exercise and new ideas to make real can help a person smile, instead of seeking a shroud to cover the darkness.
Being a part of Mental Health, I believe the medication I am receiving also helped me to gain not only mental release from my fears, but yet an inner strength to accept the wisdom from others who cared to help me believe in myself.
I exercised my instability by accepting the truth in what I wanted to be and what I wanted to believe, I have won nothing but faith and esteem, this is day to day.
By, Donald Sammons
Evaluation and Research

More on Exercise and Recovery

I started exercising last December. When they put a exercise room in the building in which I live. They put it in after they remodeled the building. At the time I started exercising, I was taking a medicine called Lopid. It was a medicine to raise my good cholesterol. I did not like the side effects the medicine had. I asked my doctor if she would take me off the medicine since I was exercising now. She had my blood tested again and my good cholesterol was high enough for her to have me stop taking the medicine. I ride the exercise bike they have in the exercise room. It tells me how many calories I burned and how much of a distance I have exercised. Exercise not only makes me feel good, but I believe it helps my recovery. Along with work I believe it makes be think clearer and I get new ideas to help myself in life as well as work. What do you think about exercise and recovery?

Charles

Progression

This is a story from a co-worker of mine at Evaluation and Research. We started down different paths. But ended up working for the same department.

For many years I have spent my life in the shadows; in schools, in my family's home, in the military. I was found beneath a tree one summer's day, incoherent. A counselor from a Mental Health Center showed concern. I spent a lot of time since that day answering questions about my situation, about my life. I was placed in a number of hospitals, not many, and slowly with group sessions, and many medication adjustments' I began to see beyond the veil of the illusions which plagued me.
Responsibility became my priority once I saw the light of right and wrong. I tried college, yet family illness, and death hampered my progress. There was still a lot to learn. I stopped and started and finally followed some advice of another case manager of MHCD, "if you want to change your life, change it for someone you care about, YOU!" I enrolled in a Vocational Rehabilitation school (2succeed), learning how to assemble computers, install Operating Systems, using Office programs. I again stepped out of the fog, this time with a smile. The system of Mental Health in Colorado, took my hand, and I learned not only to trust, yet to know through hope you can perservere if you can go beyond the fear.
This same Mental Health Center (MHCD) eventually hired me two years ago. I knew nothing before then. I am a consumer (client) still, with support on hand if feel it's going to rain, yet I am also an Evaluation Research assistant which gives me a reason to stand a little taller and believe in myself.
Sometimes I sit in the quiet of a tree, I as others have travelled a long way. The journey will never end. Faith is another's hand, hope is the heart, and trust is another's belief in self. This is what MHCD's Recovery program has given me.

By Donald Sammons

This is a comment on a article I read from the UK

This is a comment on an article I read from the UK. It is the difference between recovery and what they call thriving. I liked some of the differences and they seem to fit me and how I view myself. One part I do not agree on is the medication part, because for me it works. I take it daily and then forget about. How do you feel about taking medication? Let me know. I then accept myself as a normal person. The things I do like about thriving are that it says you are an independent person. I like that for me I work and give back to the community part. I agree with most of the article. Just click on Elemental . To view the thriving article on the website click on differences.

I'm Charles Leon, I will be doing most of the posting now.

HI my name is Charles and I posted one article on my recovery. I will be doing most of the upkeep on our blog. Alexi has moved on and returned to college. I am looking forward to posting some new articles including another on the UK. I found one that changes the way we look at recovery. They have changed from recovery into what they call thriving. I looked at the article and I like the new approach because it is more suited to how I feel about my mental illness and where I am today.
Thanks, Charles