Does anyone really get better?

does anyone ever really get better?

NO

I don't know about others. I don't believe it ever will for me.

For me, it has gotten better -- a lot better. Not without setbacks, but a lot better. For me the secret was working on it myself -- I did not find a lot of help from the mental health profession. Too many wrong suggestions, wrong paths they sent me down. Medications were no help at all. I had to figure it out by myself (and with the help of reading, Psych Central's members).

I'm fighting with my own thoughts all the time, I may go into remission that's when things calm down for a bit and gets better. I can't organize anything in my head, I trust paper and writing more than my brain. I knew and accepted that I will deal with this for a long time, and learning how to cope , getting feedback, makes it just a bit livable each time.

Misfortunes happen so we fall and learn to get up ourselves, the bigger the fall the bigger the accomplishment... the damage which takes time to heal. I've dealt with hurtful family and people I can't change them, I can't change the past, I know I will never change society. I need to tweak the definition of happiness, just a little bit, for me?

It started getting better for me when I gave up on psychotherapy and went to an in-person support group 10 years ago. That gave me a feeling of acceptance that I hadn’t gotten anywhere else. I went back into therapy. There were problems. A support group friend who had had DID suggested that the therapy was wrong and recommended that I see a specialist in dissociative disorders. That therapy, finally, has helped!!! And combined with the support of the support group I have gotten better, I think. Miracle of miracles.
But I always felt like I could get better, somehow, if I could only find a way. So maybe, Taonuviel, finding ways to be at peace with yourself the way things are may be the way things need to be for you.

I have got better over the years, but not without almost constant working on myself and my life, interspersed with days of giving up and telling the universe "OK I'm done. It's your turn; give me something." I was painfully suicidal for many years and I'm not anymore. I used to hurt myself on purpose (burning and cutting) and I don't anymore. At one point I looked myself in the mirror and said, "I'm not going to hurt you on purpose anymore; you don't deserve that." It was hard to get to. It took me about five years after I first decided to say "I love you" to myself to get the motivation to actually do it. I was so bent on destroying any piece of me that was left.

My life isn't perfect now. I am physically ill and still have occasional relationship problems, as well as money and health issues. That's why I came here, for help with a relationship. But I don't hate myself anymore, and I don't hurt myself anymore, and I don't hate my life, and I have projects and people I care about that I love and who love me back.

I've had help, too. I remember one therapist that I got close to. I used to get so emotionally exhausted. I called him once and cried to him, "No matter how hard I try, I always get back to the same place, pushing the same boulder up the same hill." He said, "Maybe you could think of it as a cycle rather than a circle - going around and around but each time learning a little more until the highs are a little more peaceful and the lows are no longer bottomless. I didn't exactly believe it and it didn't seem that way, but it was a comforting idea. Now it's true though. I can face the feelings I couldn't face before - face the "demons" and move on.

So yes, sometimes it happens that people get better.

I am pleased for you, Hetty.

I don't know.

I just got out of my 11th hospitalization. I've been on antidepressants for nearly half of my life now. I find it hard to imagine a life where I am "better" or "well", because it's something I've never really had.

I've tried and tried and tried so hard over the years but each day I just get farther and farther away from life.

So for me, no things have not gotten better.

Define 'getting better'...that the mental illnesses will completely disappear? Not going to happen for me. I do find it easier to accept it and handling it in life though. Although that was a process of many years, I still see that as a big improvement.

My only salvation is prayer. Heavy duty praye. I've bee BP for 10 years and I am 59 so kind of old. Tried diff meds but still getting anxious and with twiches from ability, but I am hanging on for dear life. The tought of loosing it scares the hell out me. So I pray for my mind just like I would pray for a physical illness. It gets better at moments and those I treasure and when it gets worse I try to remember that it can get better again. Hang in there really tight, we all care.

In reading all of your posts, it really is personal since we all have such different struggles and challenges in our lives. For me, at the age of 51, I looked at my my future and my past and was determined to face what I needed to. Perhaps living through so much of my life depressed, I didn't want that for the rest of my life. I don't know if I am "cured", but I faced a lot of pain, someone finally listened to me (no matter how irrational I sounded), I learned tools and feel that I have a hopeful future, because I have choices that I never believed I had before. It has taken 4 years, but my life and your life is worth it.

I know that when you have difficult situations (like job loss), it seems the depression will never get better. However, I have major depressive disorder and my depression fluctuates from one extreme to another. Are you seeing someone who can help you through this? With the help of medication and therapy many people do recover. It's very important that you are sharing how you're feeling. You will get support and suggestions on here but it is not the same as a therapist. I have had good ones and bad ones. The good ones will help you open up about the issues that are bothering you and help you find solutions. They will not give you answers to your problems but they can help YOU find alternatives. I wish you the best of luck!!

Just as a therapist who has never had the dis-pleasure of dealing
with a mental health issue would say:
Look at the positive!" [/quote]

I was a practicing clinician for many years (licensed psychologist), and assisted many people who were suffering from the effects of trauma, depression, bipolar, etc. I suspect that we're all prone to saying "look at the positive"...

Now that I am in the throes of a depressive episode (it's been with me on and off for about 3 years now - more "on" than "off"), I can truly see how bad depression is...just when I think I've hit the bottom rung of this depression ladder, it drops just a bit deeper. For the past few days I have been unable to stop weeping.

I suffer from the same feelings that there are others who are much worse off; but depression is such a largely personal experience. You can put on the happy face for a while, but inside you are suffering...

So I guess my point is that clinicians are not immune to suffering. I'm a depressed person now; I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

I do hope that things get better for you. I have seen people get better. I'm looking at their experiences and finding hope in that. And I find hope in these forums too.

I know this might be a little late, but I got better around age 56 after going through close to a year of therapy. It was not the easiest thing I ever did, but it opened the door for me to get better and continue to improve as long as I put in the work. My primary diagnosis is ptsd, childhood onset. I went through a regimen called Prolonged Exposure. It was rough. But I had a good Psychologist and we succeeded. I hope you find some relief. Keep looking and keep working at it, even just a little bit at a time makes a difference.