This is such a good question, thank you!

I guess I think of myself as having mental illness in remission. I have previously thought of it along the lines of having had a cold but (for me anyway) it's not a good analogy. Everyone gets colds, some often, some less often. It doesn't usually have such a large impact as to affect your identity and is only life threatening under rare circumstances. Mental illness on the other hand...

If I don't think of myself as having a chronic condition when it is in remission, I stop treating it and then shortly after that, well, it's no longer in remission. I have relapsed within 3-6 months every single time I've stopped my meds (and once when I reduced the dose) over the last 15 years or so. Therapy has been quite helpful in many ways, I am more aware of my mental state and more mindful that I am not my feelings. Therapy is helping me live a happier, healthier life but I suspect I'll always need meds.

I have also been exploring a wellness mindset mainly by developing friendships and support networks but also by prioritizing things that give me joy and addressing my other main health problem. I've shifted from working to make life bearable to working to make life good or even great. The wellness mindset and the illness mindset are not necessarily mutually exclusive; you can aim to thrive (rather than merely survive) even with an awareness of your condition—if that paradigm makes sense to you.