I have been asked a lot how exactly I managed to recover as well as I have. There really isn't a simple answer to this, and my difficulty in describing my recovery is compounded by the fact that I had resources available to me that I know some of you don't have. I have a supportive husband, a good friend, and the ability to drive myself to another city to see a good psychiatrist, plus a car able to make the trips. I haven't always had these things, and I was beginning to recover before I had them. I think I would have made a good recovery without them, but there is no doubt in my mind it would have taken a lot longer.
I can't emphasize enough that it is essential to have a good psychiatrist. You don't necessarily have to actually like him, as long as you get the general sense that he is competent in his field. A family physician simply won't do here. You need a specialist. If you are the kind of person who doesn't believe in meds (at one time I belonged in this group), then at least try to find a good psychotherapist. Some people need both, and this is ok too. My own recovery began with a competent and empathic psychiatrist who worked for a public clinic, so don't make the mistake of assuming that there are no good psychiatrists in public clinics.
If your social skills are lacking, find a mentor who is good at them. Watch what she does and practice these skills until they become comfortable. Before I met my husband and my friend, I was barely able to say "hello" to someone. All I did was watch how they interacted with people; then I tried to make these things part of my daily life. It helped that I was going to school at the time because several of the professors were aware of my problems and tried to help me. Some people have access to clubhouses and day treatment. Use these as much as possible. If you have local support groups available, try them out. Anyway, to make a very long subject short, now I can speak in front of groups and not feel especially uncomfortable.
There have been smaller things I've done to help my recovery along. I take my meds without fail, even the one I have to take five times a day. I have learned to eat and sleep regularly. Not doing this is hard on nearly everyone, but if you have a chronic illness you have to do it. No way around this one. Exercise is important, but what kind you do is not. I ride my bike for a half hour every day, but you can walk, join a gym, whatever. There's also a lot to be said for being a sofa spud or a webhead, but since I'm both of these things, we won't go into that.
If you have any weird side effects from meds (seeing and hearing things when you don't ordinarily, piling on weight, impotence, what have you) talk to your doc or someone in his office ASAP. If he doesn't listen or doesn't believe you, it's time to find another doc. I had to quit my job, but have found satisfaction in the fact that I no longer have to deal with the daily stress I had with the job. If you want a job or want to stay in your job, this is good. I'm only pointing out that my job and I were a bad fit and I needed to do something about this. I've always wanted to work with animals, and am doing volunteer work at the local cat shelter. I hope to be working as a veterinary assistant soon. I also work some at home doing personal websites and sites for cooperative businesses.
I've written this because a lot of people have asked me to, but every person has to find his/her own way. I'm just saying what worked for me. :)
One thing to remember: mental illness isn't anyone's fault; it just is. All you can do is accept the fact that you're always going to have it, treat it the best you can, and go on.
