[Musica91]

I know from firsthand account that a lot of us can get better.

Maybe we aren't cured (don't really know about that for sure), but we can learn to manage and get better.

Some may get better enough to be fully functional and then some.

Some may achieve part of that.

Some may achieve lower levels of that.

But ALL should have a right to try (in my opinion).

So I have one question: where do you go to find a place which is really interested in you getting better and living a "healthy" (as opposed to "ill") life?

Because I want to find that place - no matter where it is. And then, I want to encourage others to do it too.

Maybe its just a pipe dream - but why does it have to be? From now on, I want my discussion not to dwell on "mental illness" but on real "mental health".

(I don't know whether to give this the "trigger flag" or not - but I'm not going to because I don't think it should be one - I hope its not for anybody)

[MotownJohnny]

That's a good question. I think that there isn't a good answer. You can find what you are looking for, but it's going to be a rare gem in a field of rocks.

This is all my opinion, so take it for what it's worth:

I don't think the mental health industry in the US has any real desire to "cure" people or even see them be reasonably functional in the real world. I think it has a great unspoken vested interest in keeping people "messed up" so they remain dependent upon expensive health practicitioners and expensive drugs. Furthermore, they treat to the most severe level, by which I mean they pretty much assume the worst-case scenario about everyone who comes through the door, no matter what the condition or the outlook. For example, when I was in a day hospital program, they talked about things like getting on disability, getting housing assistance, getting emergency assistance/shelters, etc. This was a private, for-profit large hospital, and almost everyone in there had been working and/or attending college immediately before their problems. So, to tell these people to more or less just hang it up, not even bother to try, and plan on going on the dole and sitting out the rest of your life is both stupid and cruel. Instead, they should be pushing people, hard, to do everything possible to gain back every bit of functionality they can have. There are times in life people NEED a push, and that is one situation where I think it's imperative. Because I think the thing I found the most depressing of all was the attitude of "well, it's hopeless, might as well just give up and give in" which came from the so-called "healers". If an oncologist tried that, every patient would die of cancer without ever even bothering to fight via chemo, surgery, radiation, whatever.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by Musica91

So I have one question: where do you go to find a place which is really interested in you getting better and living a "healthy" (as opposed to "ill") life?

Because I want to find that place - no matter where it is.

My current clinic is a county mental health clinic in my current county. There, I very much DO get exactly what you are writing about.

In the past I went to a county mental health clinic in a neighboring county, and there I got... as MotownJohnny wrote - advice on getting disability, etc., and, a few free city bus ride vouchers.

Night and day. Also, my current pdoc keeps me on minimum amount of medication and gives me thorough advice on supplements. In the former clinic, I was given so many drugs in high doses that I developed toxicity, and, supplements were never mentioned.

After seeing how differently two county mental clinics function, I do not generalize from my experience anymore.

[Pikku Myy]

I agree

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by MotownJohnny

That's a good question. I think that there isn't a good answer. You can find what you are looking for, but it's going to be a rare gem in a field of rocks.

This is all my opinion, so take it for what it's worth:

I don't think the mental health industry in the US has any real desire to "cure" people or even see them be reasonably functional in the real world. I think it has a great unspoken vested interest in keeping people "messed up" so they remain dependent upon expensive health practicitioners and expensive drugs. Furthermore, they treat to the most severe level, by which I mean they pretty much assume the worst-case scenario about everyone who comes through the door, no matter what the condition or the outlook. For example, when I was in a day hospital program, they talked about things like getting on disability, getting housing assistance, getting emergency assistance/shelters, etc. This was a private, for-profit large hospital, and almost everyone in there had been working and/or attending college immediately before their problems. So, to tell these people to more or less just hang it up, not even bother to try, and plan on going on the dole and sitting out the rest of your life is both stupid and cruel. Instead, they should be pushing people, hard, to do everything possible to gain back every bit of functionality they can have. There are times in life people NEED a push, and that is one situation where I think it's imperative. Because I think the thing I found the most depressing of all was the attitude of "well, it's hopeless, might as well just give up and give in" which came from the so-called "healers". If an oncologist tried that, every patient would die of cancer without ever even bothering to fight via chemo, surgery, radiation, whatever.

It is also true that people can be pushed too hard, I would disagree with people being heavily encouraged to go on SSI/SSDI if they do not need to and such...however a push is not what all people need, some people need help, accommodations and resources. Part of my mental health issues are difficulties handling stress and getting to the point I can't cope with it...so I can only handle so much pushing before it would just overwhelm me too much. I am on SSI but I do not really see it as giving up, I see it as a way to have income since as of now I am not functional to hold a job..but I do not really spend all my time sitting around, that would be boring.

Different approaches tend to work for different people, there is no one size fit all approach.

[splitimage]

Anyone interested in the Recovery movement should google Diana Copeland. She was intstrumental in developing a concept called Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP). The belief behind WRAP is that everyone can recover, but that the definition of recovery is up to the individual person. I've done a WRAP plan and found it really enlightenning. You look at activities you do to stay well, triggers for relapse, what to do when in crisis, a crisis action plan and getting back on track. It's really helpful.

She was also heavily involved in starting the Peer Support idea, which depending on where you are in the country is variously well developed. My cousin is a Peer Support Worker, and she is part of a mental health community treatment team, and goes out and visits clients, not as a medical professional but as a peer to help them set their own wellness goals.

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[AncientMelody]

I'm fortunate in that both my primary care physician and my psychiatrist/therapist are both pro-wellness. My psychiatrist isn't afraid to juggle meds, but she supports my use of high-dose fish oil capsules and always checks in to make sure I'm exercising regularly, we've discussed spirituality, etc. When you are looking for a therapist or a psychiatrist I would be up front during the search and let them know you are interested in wellness and holistic approaches.

[splitimage]

I just realized that I gave Copeland's wrong first name. It's Mary Ellen Copeland.

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