Being My Own Advocate By Shelley During your mental health care, have you often felt hopeful about your chance of getting better? ONLY when I speak with my psychologist whom I’ve been seeing for 3 years. She has always told me that I could get better and do it without psychiatric medications. During your mental…
An Independent, Self-Directed Life By Susan During your mental health care, have you often felt hopeless about your chance of getting better? When my daughter was a teenager, her therapist told her “this may be as good (well) as your mother ever gets.” Not only was I made to feel hopeless but my child was…
Changes in My Life By Dorothy During your mental health care, have you often felt hopeful about your chance of getting better? Because of how I was feeling at the time. I didn’t think that I would get better. I was sick for over 16 years and being sick that long you feel that you…
Rising Out of the Ashes By Silvia In what ways have you found psychiatric medication(s) helpful, if any? Zopiclone is there as a last resort to find some sleep, and Olanzapine keeps me level. Both medications have been cut down to the smallest amount where they still work, under my own initiative, agreed with my…
You Won’t Be In This Place Forever Leo Medications: good for short-term help I’ve found that psychiatric medications were effective as short term ways to jolt me out of crisis state; antidepressants were useful in a time when I had no concept that you could be anything but miserable, antipsychotics were helpful when I was…
Standing Tall and Liking Yourself Kathryn Cascio; Albany, NY NOT a mental patient for life! I thought I would be a mental patient the rest of my life and never be able to be independent, but I’ve been off all psychiatric medications for more than a year. The side effects of medications were very damaging.…
If I Had Given Up Susan I’ve felt hopeful I have been diagnosed with depression, generalized anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. My illness started in 1997 and for several years I felt hopeless most of the time. Since then my hopefulness has gradually increased, and starting about 5 years ago I’ve felt hopeful most of…
I Believe In My Recovery Karen The mental health system can keep people sick I’ve had several diagnoses over the years including alcohol and drug abuse, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. I take a very low dose of antidepressant and don’t know if it helps really. I have gained weight and wonder if it caused…
Go Your Own Way By Jennifer I want to be that person again I want to be the person I was before I was raped when I was 19 years old and started psychiatric treatment. I was a brilliant, courageous, adventurous child, happy and confident. I want to be that person again. I have a…
I’m Fully Alive Now By Avril If you used to take prescribed psychiatric medications and no longer are, about how long has it been since the last time you took any psychiatric medication? 5 to 10 years. The amount I was prescribed knocked me out completely, meaning in one sense I had no problems, as…