And I'm glad to be here Sarah. My own experience of schizophrenia/psychosis has been different from that of many others and because of this difference, I "speak" with a different voice.

Sometimes, this frightens people and to be perfectly honest, I've been tossed out the door of many a "mental health forum" for daring to speak of recovery in the manner I do. My time spent with "Doc John" in chat the other day suggests to me that might not happen here... but I don't know. If he, or someone else gets uncomfortable with what I have to say, I'll likely move on in some fashion or another. This is part of the reason I pack so much information into a post -- its because I know that chances are very good that my posts will outlast my actual presence.

Still, I do what I do because I've spoken with a lot of "schizophrenics" over the years and because I intimately understand this experience. I know that this "condition" is a difficult one to live with, and it's especially discouraging if you think whatever you're currently going through is going to be a permanent condition. People need to know and hear that recovery is possible, but people also need to have the space to define and move through their own recovery on their own terms.

Some people draw tremendous reassurance from what could be termed "the medical model". Others find substance from other models or a combination thereof. In my own case, the trauma/stress model has a certain degree of relevancy for me -- my own break was preceded by a series of multiple losses as accompanied by trauma. I've also found the Jungian model of the psyche to be helpful for me as a framework for interpreting my experience. [Ref: How to Produce an Acute Schizophrenic Break] Naturally, individual mileage will vary.

What's most important -- in my opinion -- is that we be able to talk about these various models, treatments and approaches because different people respond best to different models and treatments. The goal is not to get well the way I did, or the way someone else did -- the goal is to get well the way you need to get well. It can be helpful to have a large pool of data to draw from so that you can begin to recognize and identify that which will be most helpful to you.

Discernment and knowledge of your self are very good tools to bring with you. I've yet to meet someone in pain who didn't want to find a way out of that pain. No one knows you better than you do -- doctors, treatments, opinions, models, medications -- these are all tools that can be used to help a person move beyond that space.

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