Skip to main content

What Is A Strong Person To You?

This proverb was written anonymously and can be found in the book The Language of Courage and Inner Strength.

People are like tea bags.
You fiind out how strong they are
when you put them in hot water.

Do you think that having an illness can make people stronger?

Yes, I think that people living with AIDS, cancer, schizophrenia, and other illnesses are strong people because the disease trys to suck the life out of them, but they won't let it. Fortunately with treatment they can overcome.

This proverb was written by Maya Angelou, and is from the book Words of Hope and Courage.

I can be changed
by what happens
to me.
I refuse to be reduced
by
it.

Again, do you think that having an illness can make people stronger? What is a strong person to you?

Comments

YoYo said…
It takes great strength to live with an illness, that much I know. Does it make you stronger? I sure as hell hope so!! If not, what is the point of being put through all that pain for?

I have no idea what it is like living with schizophrenia, but I do know what it is like going through life not knowing what the next 5 minutes might bring. I suffer from severe depression and anxiety. Sometimes to the point I can't leave my house. It has been war trying to find the right meds, and it's still not completely comtrolled. Honestly sometimes I feel like I have your illness, my moods change so randomly that I don't even know me.

I look forward to hearing more on what you have to say..
September 10, 2008 at 8:43 AM
Matthew Howard said…
People tell me I have a bipolar disorder, but I don't know.

I honestly think a strong person is one who can think for themselves. Doesn't always listen to establishment. And makes their own path No matter what it might be.But thats a bit different than what you are talking about.

I do agree that having to deal with anything that other people don't will not only make you stronger, it will make you that much of a better person in the long run.
September 10, 2008 at 3:18 PM
gmama said…
Strong can be defined by so many things, it is so broad. This blog belongs to my daughter, and she is very STRONG! She has handled this situation look, I, myself could not. I believe it is hard to actually express just what has occurred in her life, you would have had to be there. I do not know what I would have done! I don't know if I could have handled the way she is. When this situation occurred, she continued on with her life, with a strong passion on educating herself and making herself better. She did not seem to even stop and think about it and say "poor me." She just plummetted forward. I look at her and cannot express my love, and how proud I am of her. I truly don't know what to say when I see here because she is truly unbelievable. This blog is helping all of us, her immediate family. It appears to be therapeutic and strengthening in itself. It's those little things that come out whenever its ready to come out. As far as strength goes, I was happy when she started this blog, but I did not stop to think about the reality, the realness of what would come out. Honestly, as her mother, I could not muster the strenght to read it because it forced me to deal with the healing I have to deal with. It IS forcing me to pull strength out of somewhere so that I can move forward a little bit faster, with my daughter. I hope what I am saying is making sense to those reading this.
September 11, 2008 at 8:05 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Religious Preoccupation

After a talk, a woman asked me if my faith contributed to my recovery because she noticed that I mentioned it throughout my speech. In addition to that, she told me that she observed people with faith as having a better outcome in their mental health recovery. First, I came from a family with Christian values. My faith in God started to get intense during the latter years of high school, which in my opinion, is when I started having symptoms. In my experience religion plays a major role in my mental health- its delusions, its coping skills, and in my recovery. In medical terms they call my religious rituals and delusions "religious preoccupation." Before I was diagnosed I was highly religious. In fact, I wanted to be an evangelist and to go to a Christian college. I would read my Bible for several hours a day throughout the day, listen to hymns, and meditate. Sometimes I would ignore people if they wanted my attention while I was meditating I was in such deep thought. Also, I...
15 comments
Read more

What Is Remission?

Remission is the absence of symptoms for at least six months with the support of medication. In other words, a doctor who has never seen you before may not diagnose you as a person with schizophrenia anymore. Remission is also high functioning in several aspects of life, living independently, goinig to school or to work, and socializing with other people. However, this does not mean the patient is cured or the illness has went away, the illness is still present, however, under control. Remission is achieved with the assistance of medication. "Published studies suggest that 10% to 20% of people with schizophrenia have remission of their illness as they get older, 20% get worse, but in a large majority (60% to 70%), the course of illness remains relatively unchanged." To reach remission it is recommended that you aim for a stress-free environment. Therefore, do things to relieve stress such as journaling, exercising, talking to friends, listening to or creating music, making a...
9 comments
Read more

The Path that God Chose for Me

I am not upset that I have schizophrenia, this is the life God chose for me. The other day I was telling my mother I am glad I took a break from school, but I wish I had taken it sooner so that I could have recognized my illness sooner. She reminded me that everything happens for a reason, and that had I took a break sooner I would not have been able to know my full potential in college and in life. I went to college and got really involved in it through sports, internships, and mentoring peers. I was involved in so many things, school, church, home, friends, family, you name it! She was right, I am glad I took the path I took. I did not always have schizophrenia, but now that I have it I will work hard to overcome it. I try not to use the word schizophrenic because that identifies the person by their illness and that isn't fair. I am Ashley and I have schizophrenia. I will not let it limit my potential or define who I am. I can and will overcome these symptoms with medication, the...
23 comments
Read more