At 3:30 in the afternoon on Sunday, April 8, 1956, Satan spoke to me for the first time. At 11:00 in the morning on Friday, April 13, 1956, I saw Dr. Levy, my first psychiatrist, for the first time. Within the hour, I had taken my first dosage of the only neuroleptic the...
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your grade
David Robbins
Monday, July 07, 2008 at 05:19 AMre: your grade
Robin Cunningham
Monday, July 07, 2008 at 10:53 PMDavid:
If I was that smart all my friends, like you and Don, and I would be living on the French Riviera.
Thanks,
Robin
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recovery
DCROY9633
Wednesday, July 09, 2008 at 05:35 PMFor years, I thought "recovery" meant to be 100% of what I was pre-sz. I waited it out thinking my creativity would return to what I had considered normal. Thinking my interest in nonfiction books would return. Thinking I could be as job-competent as I used to be when I worked long and difficult hours 5 days a week. Thinking I would feel at ease about my religious convictions. And so on.
But now, after those years of fretting that I would never be normal again, I realized "normal" is just one point on a continuum. And where I excel in some areas, I do poorly in other areas. Everyone both exceeds expectation and finds some tasks too daunting. Recovery for me today means taking Zyprexa even when I hate the side effects. Recovery means that I am brushing my teeth at night instead of not brushing for weeks. It means feeling more a part of what is going on around me rather than some malignant lump that is spreading doom and gloom.
I think most of all, recovery for me means accepting myself where I am and what I am in all areas. Yes, it is great to achieve an important goal, but I also get satisfaction our of just doing my best that particular day.
Carolyn
replyre: recovery
Robin Cunningham
Monday, July 21, 2008 at 05:53 AMCarolyn:
Thanks for your comment. I find all your comments and SharePosts uplifting.
It sounds very much as if you are in a good place, that you've come to terms with your illness and have learned to live with it. There are a whole lot of people out there that would like to be in your place.
And you're right, this illness requires us to recreate ourselves, to compromise sometimes, but more importantly to learn to move ahead despite our frustrations. I know that my life is very different because of my illness. I think I now lead a better and more relevant life than I would have if I had been left to my own devices.
Pax [Latin for Peace]
Robin
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Thanks Robin for your insight. If life were giving out grades you'd get an A+++.
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