Recovery & Schizophrenia
At little while ago I was reflecting on what I had learnt of schizophrenia, drawing on my experience too. I have been to a number of events discussing schizophrenia over the past three years. A key one was on recovery.
Recovery is about changing our lives rather than changing our biochemistry.
Recovery is a journey, not an event.
Till I was signed off the mental health system, I had been on a journey to recovery for close to two decades. The last lap was one of consistent support with successful outcomes. And that was key to my recovery.
Mental Health First Aid started in Australia, then came to Scotland followed by England. The faith community was calling on practitioners in their midst to make a difference.
Mental health first aid is an important educational tool in helping people identify and help those challenged with mental illness. Recognising the first signs and symptoms can help in treating and recovery. Knowing signs and symptoms means there is less stigma directed to those challenged with mental illness, helping them to seek treatment, even recover, and have a better life.
Seeking mental health first aid can be extremely vital for those diagnosis such as schizophrenia. (I have also learnt in mental health circles, the preferred terminology is psychosis rather than schizophrenia).
But, what is Psychosis?
It is an umbrella term used to describe conditions that affect the mind, where there has been some distortion of reality.
Delusions are beliefs that cannot be supported by reality. Schizophrenia does not affect the intellectual capacity of the sufferer.
To be in touch with reality, all your five senses must be in working order. I discovered this the last time I presented myself voluntarily for admission on the mental health ward. A colleague told me I spoke to him from the ward which led to a visit from him. Till date, I do not have recollection of this.
So what can we/ should we do?
- Do a Mental Health First Aid course
- Don’t give up on someone who is going through an acute phase
- If you are helping someone, listen with all your senses (do you hear what is said or what is meant?)
- Give reassurance and give information that will help the person.
- Encourage the one challenged with mental illness to do an assessment/ seek professional help
- Encourage the person challenged with mental illness, to get proper help; to get professional help
- Encourage self-help strategies.
Remember recovery is possible. Never rule out full recovery…I defied the odds! I have had two assessments since I was signed off in 2009, and each consultant psychiatrist has ruled…NO MENTAL ILLNESS. It is my desire that could be your story too for you or your loved one.
Everyone of us can help make a difference. Think of how you could be of help.
Don’t judge…Change people, change lives.
If you have been on a Mental Health First Aid course, please share your experience, or you could write a guest blog about it.
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