I am more than my Dx

Sorry - this might be a bit long, but my IP social worker said something to me that I found really insightful and I wanted to share.

We were working on negative cognitions that lead me to relapse (drink) and she wanted me to write down my most common ones and come up with arguments against them, or coping strategies to deal with them.

One of mine was "I'm a total screw-up, I just want to drink and forget it.". My counter argument was, "It's not my fault I lost my job, it's not my fault I have depression, alcoholism is a disease" She had an aha moment and said that I was totally internalizing my diagnosis and wasn't seeing myself as a person beyond my mental health challenges.

As I thought about it, I realized that it's true, I've been in this last depressive episode for so long, that I've kind of forgotten what it feels like to feel normal. And as for the alcoholism, for the last 2 years my addictions treatment team has been encouraging me to keep my recovery front and centre - even telling me I need to take a lower stress job than I'm qualified for, so I can focus on recovery. I resent this, and it makes my alcoholism, seem like this all permeating factor in my life which is really limiting what I am capable of.

But I am so much more than my diseases. It's just that I forget that to focus on the negative (which I'm really good at).

So my social worker wants me to come up with a list, by Monday of 10 things I like about myself, or am good at. This is going to be hard, but I know it will help me. I may come back and post what I come up with - if it doesn't sound like bragging.

Just wanted to share this to get people thinking, in case you too are trapped in thinking that your diagnosis defines you. It doesn't.

with love.

Splitimage

(((((((((((( splitimage ))))))))))))
Thanks for posting

((((splitimage))))

As hard as it is you are doing great work. I know that it is not easy and if someone told me to list 10 good things about myself I would not be able to either. But yes, it will help you. You are a giving and caring person, (there are two that you can put on your list). You are not defined by your diagnosis. You are working hard to change and sometimes change is hard.

Thank you for sharing and please share with us your 10 things about you that are good. I do not think it is bragging on yourself at all. Maybe we all should try to do that. It would help all of us. Know that we are thinking of you and are here for you.

Sending you gentle hugs and loving thoughts. Always.

dps

(((((( splitimage)))))) I really like the title of the thread you started, and the story. So very true. I have often wondered why the "voice" of whats wrong can be so much more convincing than the "voice of whats good and right and positive" I love the idea of the list of 10 things one likes like about themself. Sort of gentle positive exercizes to begin to build those forgotten muscles. Perhaps emotional tai chi. Will be looking forward to reading that list you post here

((( splitimage )))

"I am more than my Dx." That is powerful, profound and TRUE. We ARE more than our diagnoses, and realizing that is amazing. I hope your list shows you that. Please pass this on to your social worker for me: and also please accept these for you,

Do you mind if I spin this off in the Kudos forum? I think we could all benefit from the reminder and maybe start lists of our own. I don't know the rules here of cross-posting especially since this isn't originally MY topic so I thought I should ask first

Thanks everyone. I have to add, that this social worker is totally amazing - she's really good. It's been worth going IP just to work with her, although I'm getting lots out of the program.

And phrick, feel free to spin this off however you'd like.

So anyways here's my list. I read it to a friend of mine, and she helped me come up with 2 more, so I have 12 in total.

Now I can't be the only person doing this what are yours?

1. I'm extremely intelligent.
2. I have a great sense of humour.
3. I have a really strong capacity for bouncing back / starting over.
4. I'm a good accountant
5. I'm good at the volunteer work I do on the CAMH phone lines and here on BUS and at Psych Central.
6. I'm reasonably talented musically.
7. I'm capable of working really hard.
8. I'm emapthetic with others.
9. I'm a good friend to my friends.
10. Animals like me (no really it's weird - dogs and cats all like me)
11. I have a strong moral compass
12. I care about people.

--splitimage

I was learning that yesterday too!

"It shouldn't take up your whole life," he says. "Imagine if you had another medical condition. You do the treatment and go home, you take the medicines if needed and you avoid things that might aggravate the condition but you don’t necessarily make your whole life revolve around it…in fact just the opposite--you live life to its fullest without letting your condition take over your life."

From: http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?p...#ixzz0xuraUGDt

Hi SPlitimage, I am in admiration of you. That is a great list !! You ARE so much more than you dx for sure.

Greetings,

Thank you. That was quite inspirational.

Have a good one.

Great work splitimage, what you are doing there is one of the most powerful ways to actually "get" that you are a person not a diagnosis. It is also something that should be taken to those doctors who think you only want some kind of drug when you go to the ER in chronic pain, or in a meltdown. I will remember this incase it happens to me again and I need to slap the doc with a wet fish