Courage: Recovery Skill #2

Great reading, thank you...I agree with you that people who aim for recovery should be recognized for their effort. Also, I have many goals I want to accomplish such as finishing school, but I take things one step at a time.

Another helpful thing for me: I had always been a list-maker and delighted when I had checked off everything by the end of the day.  When I got really sick and couldn't do that anymore, at the end of the day I would write down everything I could think of that I had managed to accomplish.  That included brushing my teeth, washing my face, carring out the garbage -- whatever.  Then I felt satisfied that I had indeed done something.  Even those little things counted.  Little by little, I added things that I waned to do at some time in the future, but I didn't push myself to do it all the next day.  More as just a reminder that there would come a time when I would recover enough to do them.  And gradually, I did start doing more for myself and others.  Now I feel almost recovered some days.  And that is the greatest accomplishment of all.

Carolyn

Thank you for this. It is true and rewarding to read.

Bretsch

Your true and heartfelt posts are an inspiration to me.  I've learned that often one of the best ways to help yourself is to help others, and I truly appreciate your encouraging words.  I'm in my mid 20's, and I've lived with ongoing symptoms for the past 6 years now.  I know that when my symptoms are heightened, the real world seems to just exist in the background, and it becomes easy to forget about doing the things that I love to do, and the people who I love so much.  It is so important for people with SZ to implement positive action in their lives as much as possible, and to not be caught up in the worry and fear of living with symptoms.  Take time to write a letter to a friend, bake cookies and give them to people in fun packaging as gifts, paint, take pictures of nature, read a mystery novel, search for new music.  I'm living proof that the recovery skills that you write about can work in the life of a person with SZ if they just take one step at a time.  Love, friendship, community and education are all key factors that will help us to succeed, but without the courage and the confidence to believe that we deserve these things, we won't seek them.  God loves us all and has a purpose for each of us on this earth.  Don't stop setting goals and working to reach them, because you deserve it!