Skip to main content

New Recovery Lives

Having experienced a range of situations, and people related to my illness, I understand how "recovery" can have several interpretations and that each meaning is arguably the ideal definition.  Recovery to me used to mean striving for a part of me that used to be, before my illness stole that life away from me. How does an individual stop comparing their recovery to their old life?

I think it is difficult for each individual to let go of their career that once defined who they were- working in the corporate world, being a teacher, and real estate agent, or a student in college, etc. I remember my mother once said, 'this is all new to you, and you have to learn the new Ashley.' I think that was great advice, because it opened my eyes to having an open mind on my recovery. I have a new life in recovery and I choose to nourish it instead of measuring it and comparing it to my life before diagnosis.

How have you learned to cope with your life in recovery?

To learn more about schizophrenia visit NAMI, Choices in Recovery, and Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia (Canada).
Labels:

Comments

Chris said…
Hi Ashley,

I was diagnosed when I was 22 shortly after I received a BA in English. In this regard I was lucky I pulled through school first. Though not entirely lucky I was determined to persist in getting the degree. Luck most likely had nothing to do with it.

I couldn't go straight to work and my first jobs were in the gray flannel insurance field. I cycled through one job after another until I had the courage to go back to school to get a library science degree.

My life took off when I turned 35 and started working in a career where I could be creative and express myself.

Your mother is right about The New Ashley because this points to a hidden truth:

A lot of us place value on the external trappings of success: the car, the job, the house.

Yet when that's taken away from us we can choose how to respond.

It helps if our self-worth isn't tied into what we do and is linked to who we are and how we act in the world towards others.

Our character can't be taken away from us even in our darkest hour: we will always be ourselves.

The tide will come in or go out in our lives regularly.

How we respond affects the outcome.

We can live *magnificent* lives in our recovery.

We can be ourselves only better.

The old life wasn't supposed to continue.

Mark my words:

The best is yet to be.
August 4, 2013 at 7:07 AM
Ashley Smith said…
Very encouraging- thank you, Chris.
August 4, 2013 at 3:41 PM
Matt said…
I look back to my job and wish I had handled myself better. Then with the next job. I wish I had been happier and more responsible. Now I am looking for another job. From your post recovery can mean a lot of things. It is true how you respond and how you look after yourself define a part of recovery. Does having a job mean you have recovered? Or relating to people in a manner that shows you are in control? Is recovery more than symptom management? I believe it is true the lives that we now live is new the old has gone the new has come.
August 5, 2013 at 6:11 AM
Ashley Smith said…
Hi Matt, in my opinion recovery is not only about symptom management it includes accomplishing some of your life goals that may not have to do with mental illness. Most of your questions have unique answers for everyone- to some having a job is recovery while to others it may not be. Thank you for your thoughts on this.
August 5, 2013 at 5:19 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

by A Guest Blogger: For Addicts, Recovery Means Creating a New Life

If you’re struggling to maintain your sobriety, you aren’t alone. There are millions of fighters just like you working toward reclaiming their lives from drugs and alcohol. There are a few common traits that many successful recovering addicts share. Keep reading to find out what they are and how you can follow in their footsteps. They establish new patterns You can’t continue to live your life the same was you did when you were using. You must change and adapt to your newfound sobriety. Consider a career change; many recovering addicts find they have more success by starting their own business. One career that is easy to enter is dog walking. As a dog walker , you’ll reap many rewards including getting to spend time with dogs, which can actually boost your recovery efforts and stave off depression. Dogs have been used as part of a treatment plan for users as young as 11 and come with the added benefit of helping you stay physically active. Plus, being with
2 comments
Read more

No, Please, That's Not Me

Prior to my diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia I did some things that I am not proud of. Now that I look back on things I blame my illness for my poor judgment. I am by no means condoning the behavior I carried out, and will share with you here. I will provide a few instances where my behavior was unlike me and caused an uproar. This post shows how schizophrenia affects other people. This post is for the family members and friends of people with schizophrenia, or showing bizarre behaviors. First, I asked my mother permission to give my friend a statue that was in my mother's house. My mother agreed to give my friend the statue, however, I took her permission a step further to get rid of what she had at my discretion. At the time I did not live with my mother who was away on a business trip. My mother buys and sells things so she had a lot of collectibles, antiques, and other interesting stuff. While my friend and me were in my mother's house my friend saw a lot of stuff that s
5 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