Is it the journey or the destination?

[Donte]

Often there are times in our recovery process when we wish things will speed up. We really wanna come out of that dark hole and feel that progress has been made. It usually doesn't happen. The recovery journey can be a very a long one, but, can also be
full of adventure, full of discovery. How we would be without our condition? Would we see the world differently? What can we learn from this experience? Admittedly, we are today in an environment in which everyone seems to know everything and we are saturated by a million views on everything, including mental health and ways to deal with illness. But imagine for a moment, if we saw our illness and recovery as a journey in which we accumulate knowledge, experience, wisdom etc Imagine if we wished that recovery took really long. If we saw our mental distress as a gift. As something really special. Yes, we can keep recovery in our minds as a final destination, however, also learn to value the journey, the day to day experiences that we have. If we just took a step at a time, and didn't hurry up to get to the goal, but appreciate the experience we get and the way it shapes us as individuals, could this help us 'cope' better? How do we make the shift in our minds? How can we get to the point to be thankful for our distress and enjoy the fact that we are experiencing it as it can lead us (if we let it), to higher, greater, better things. Is it possible to get to the point that we are thankful for this marvelous journey? Without this 'issue' we wouldn't have started exploring our life and goals the way we do now. How do you see your mental illness through the lenses of your culture and family? Through your beliefs? Do you think you may be able, even for a while, to look at your situation with different eyes?

[J_M_12345]

Hi Donte',

Thanks for the question. I do agree. In my journey to recovery, I have learnt a lot, I have grown in wisdom and in strength and my ability to face life's challenges has increased. My family sees it like that as well, and the people around me, who have grown quite supportive of my recovery journey often highlight the positives of going through mental illness and recovering.

But can I be honest? I know it feels like the wrong answer, that I should say that our experiences shape us, and that without our life's challenges and illness we cannot become who we are today, and these things are true, but honestly? Given the choice? I wish I didn't go through the journey. The journey sucked! Recovery was hard to say the least, and it still is. It always will be.

In terms of destination, I think there's not always a destination, because mental illness is often a lifelong battle. Sometimes people are lucky and it comes and goes away. But for most, it's like a cold. You'll deal with it year after year. The trick is learning how to manage it.

What do you think?

Josette xx

[Donte]

Hi Josette,

thats very nicely described. It’s like going on a trip that we didn’t plan. But here we are. On the road. Traveling. Looking at the scenery. Stopping at various points. At times wanting to go back. Other times looking ahead. Here and there diverting to the left or the right. Mental illness is indeed episodic. There are periods where it can take over and overwhelm and others where we manage fine and it’s all in the background. I think it’s great that your family is supportive of this. And that you have this awareness. Sure, we may not have chosen to take this path but we still learn from the journey and grow in ways unfathomable to us. The main thing is to keep doing whatever we can and work with whatever we have in our hands. I believe that if our family, friends, loved ones are understanding then the process can be easier. X