My Mental Illness Recovery Journey

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In this video, I share my thoughts on what recovery really means. I've come to understand that I will never fully recover from my schizoaffective disorder in the typical sense of the word. However when we shift our understanding of recovery to more of a process or a journey of recovery, it is absolutely possible to live in recovery from a chronic mental illness such as schizophrenia.

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SOCIALS

#schizophrenia #schizoaffective #schizoaffectivedisorder #mentalhealth #mentalillness #recovery

[LivingWellAfterSchizophrenia]

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[CallyMan]

This is not just a video for those struggling with schizophrenia, or even mental health. This is a message of wisdom.

[SECruise]

We’re here for you. We can still lead beautiful lives, even on medication and living with this illness. You’re so strong and I’m inspired by your transparency. Thank you.

[Marc]

Yes, I agree. My mental health process is a journey, not a destination. My disorders are unlikely to go away, so what has helped me the most is A) grieving my former sense of identity, and B) radical acceptance of my new identities.

[mariamatmos]

My psychiatrist once told me that my bipolar disorder is like if I had had an accident and had lost my legs: I was not getting my legs back, but I would learn to live with it and develop tools to function as normal as possible. I would have times when I just wanted my legs back, I would have times where life felt too difficult, but I would learn to live with it. Seventeen years after getting my diagnosis, I completely agree with him.
Lots of love gorgeous ❤️

[polyglot]

From a strengths perspective, you are very “recovered”! You have a lot of ‘recovered’ skills exhibited here you utilized: you woke up, you prepared for this video, you shared your thoughts with us—that is all worth something.

[lazarmitrovic]

I am new in this illness (bipolar with psychosis) and it is hard, it is so hard. My life is 20 percent of what it was. It is so hard to socilaze, it is so hard to work, it is so hard to find partner. We just play life on hardest difficulty. Thank you Loren for videos, you motivate us all to keep pushing.

[maricormier]

You are a treasure. I'm a retired social worker and worked with people who had chronic mental health issues. I would have loved to have you share your journey with my clients. I find you and your veido's so uplifting and informative. Keep them coming. Sending you love.

[Blindfold-Me]

That was really hard for me to accept as well. That I’ll always be “sick” and just manage symptoms forever.

[opedromagico]

Accepting I might not survive my illness made me smile more and enjoy life more, as best as I can. Thanks for this video ❤️

[electricbamboo]

My doctor told me that meds don't take away symptoms 100% but make it more manageable. Hearing that made me feel less like I was doing something wrong because I wasn't symptom free 100%

[markjeffries]

I started having symptoms of schizophrenia when I was 12 years old. I did not get diagnosed until 2004 when I was 37. I had to stop working in 2010. I am now 55. Thank you for your Story. Each episode encourages me to live another day. Thank you.

[PCMenten]

Regarding chronic illness of this sort; Temple Grandin, the scientist with autism, made this remark - “there is an expression; you don’t grow out of autism, you grow into it”. I think this applies to schizophrenia, but there’s a difficult difference, and that is this; most psychological ailments are present from birth, but schizophrenia usually comes after experiencing a normal childhood, so you know how life is like without the intrusive symptoms of schizophrenia. That’s the dilemma, wanting a return to that time of predictable life that you had experienced. But schizophrenia also seems to improve with time, and that is a hopeful thing. I believe that we will develop therapies that lessen the symptoms in your lifetime.

[mikemetague]

Yes, long-hauler here -- 1968: paranoid-schizophrenia to full-blown psychosis: I think it's an ongoing triumph as you say; we learn mental health maintenance, both rationally and intuitively, as we go along. And it gets "better."

[roxanajordan]

My heart breaks for you, and I will pray for you. My son was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder 20 years ago. He suffers from severe paranoia, delusions, and anxiety and has no insight that he has a mental illness. He has been hospitalized twice, both times against his will, and has improved somewhat while on medication. As soon as he was released he refused medication and any kind of aftercare. He refuses to return to his home state or any intervention. My heart is broken, because he was a brilliant student and pianist and now he is homeless and dependent on my monfhly Western Union money for food. There is nothing good in his future. I hope your future is better. Our society needs to step up to protect these most vulnerable people in our society.

[justinbailey]

Having a spouse with severe bipolar, I can relate to the struggles of caring for someone with mental health issues. Especially watching their personalities invert and see them going from a fun, loving, and outgoing to a psychotic mess that turns on everyone who loves them and goes on to destroy everything that ever mattered to them. The agony of their actions made worse by the depression and shame that follows is unbearable to watch. The worse part is that they and their loved ones know that this cycle will repeat.

[dannorman]

Schizoaffective/schizophrenia is very hard to deal with and we really appreciate this place of support on youtube!

[barondickhorn]

"we are not human beings on a spiritual journey. we are spiritual beings on a human journey."

[TimTkachyk]

In my experience of “recovering” from cancer, it’s a very similar misconception. I don’t suffer from the same things you do, but your descriptions of navigating life really resonate with me. I’ve really struggled with the idea of recovery having some sort of “finish line” or finality. It doesn’t. People around us don’t understand that either, and it’s very hard to explain.

[deedomodomo]

What you mentioned about being perceived as an attention seeker for talking about mental health issues really hits home. I have a chronic mental illness that comes with pretty severe symptoms sometimes. Very few people have witnessed my symptoms because I know how to manage them and appear high functioning in public. The downside of that is when I tell people about my illness, I'm often questioned about how severe it is, or if I've actually been formally diagnosed. And the ones that do believe me sometimes treat me like an invalid. These days I only talk about my illness to other people who also have mental illness. They are usually the only ones who understand.