Thank you for sharing your story, BonsaiGuy! And you have made such significant changes in your life. That is to be highly admired, and I am so glad that you rightly feel the benefits.

Recovery (the whole package) is certainly a journey and an incredible learning experience. It can indeed take a lot of time and patience. Keep looking forward. If something pushes you backwards or knocks you over, that's OK. Look forward again. There is a quote that I really appreciate. It is:

"Courage isn't always a lion's roar, it is also the silence of an ant working patiently persistently and never giving up." - Unknown source

I'm still on disability. I'm definitely not planning on being on disability for my whole life. I take baby steps forward. In the meantime, I do try to create a bit of a structure in my life as a preparation for more responsibilities and "regularity". I get up at the same time. I take my medications reliably at the same time. I communicate thoroughly and honestly with my psychiatrist. I have spent time learning what my triggers are so that I recognize them quicker than in the past. I have become more insightful into symptoms developing, and have created a mental wellness "toolbox" - strategies and steps to take when I see myself becoming ill.

I am a major proponent of finding simple pleasures in life. Yes, I like big pleasures, but if you live and wait only for the big ones, you're missing out on a lot and creating a dysfunctional situation where you always feel unfulfilled and disappointed. The longer you feel like that, the more apt you are to feel hopelessness. Mindfulness is part of finding simple pleasures. When I first learned about mindfulness, I didn't understand it and thought it was charlatanry, but it isn't. You do not have to be religious or spiritual to enjoy mindfulness. It's not like that.

Be sure to celebrate these wonderful accomplishments you've made, in a healthy way. Celebrate the very small ones you make, too. I agree that forums like this one, on PC, are a great place to do that. We understand the significance of them. We all need a bit of cheer-leading and kudos.