Posted by seldomseen on June 20, 2009, at 16:54:43
In reply to Response to bleuberry, posted by Frustratedmama on June 20, 2009, at 7:37:31
Sometimes I've found that the only thing that can help to get out of the hole IS me.
I think what mental illness does sometimes is rob us of our ability to assume the active agency that we have over our own lives. It really undercuts our ability to see how we may or may not be contributing to our own mental state.
How CAN we see ourselves clearly when our abiliity to do so is clouded by the very illness we are trying to break out of?
I hear you loud and clear that you are tired and just want some relief and fast. I get that. I also understand that feeling very very well. You're fed up. I've been there. Mental illness can tax you to the core of your being. It's fatiguing, soul-sucking and painful. But underneath all that muck is YOU.
To me, this illness is like many other uncurable chronic illnesses in that it can be managed. I think we bear the bulk of the responsibility for managing ourselves. Sometimes when we feel the least like getting off the couch, THAT is the very time that ywe HAVE to get up.
I know one of the most essential things in my recovery/managment is not letting the illness take over. I know that sometimes it seems as though there is nothing to grab onto when you are down in the hole. I also know that sometimes you have to create your own grip and with all of your might start pulling.
Sometimes that hand-hold can be as simple as a mental distraction, other times it's as complicated as blindly following someone's advice to eat better or finding a type of therapy that works.
In closing, let me reiterate that I do (as much as one human can understand another) understand where you are right now and how painful it is. I'm sure there are others on this board who have been exactly where you are as well. It's a tough tough road but others are on it as well. We all struggle, but in the end, IMO it's up to us to not give up and keep fighting.
Seldom.
poster:seldomseen
thread:901734
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090620/msgs/902285.html