One of the greatest challenges we face as mental health sufferers is the expectations of anyone around us and usually they do not possess professional qualifications. I'm all for professional advice, however, even professionals usually dont have the experience of having the illness they treat. They should be respected and advice followed but my point is that sometimes "extra" treatment can come in the form of self observations followed by life adjustments, in order to capitalise on your treatment program. Let me explain.
In a primary school classroom there be 20 children. If all those children dreamt of becoming an astronaut its likely the odds are one child will succeed in 10,000 schools where all have that dream. So, as they grow through the years would it be realistic for every child to keep dreaming of being an astronaut? No, so all those kids with the same dream need to have a plan "B" and "C". Of those as well are the ones that havent got the academic capacity to achieve that dream. We cant possibly all be rocket scientists. So where ever those dreams originated from (the parent or child) the one thing they didnt judge was their capacity to achieve that career. We all are familiar with the parent that plans for their child to be the next gen farmer, doctor, retailer and those plans are set in stone without consideration their child hasnt got the same dream/capacity to become or a different dream eg builder.
The parent that has those expectations creates enormous inner guilt in the child with one result if they dont follow- failure. Yet as a builder the child has succeeded with their own dream and actually that means success.
What we can identify with is that you can be extremely positive and motivated but if you dont have the capacity to fulfill an unrealistic dream that doenst mean you're a failure- it means you have the wrong goal for you.
Since time began we've been told what perspectives to have, that a builder is more important than a lumberjack yet the former cant exist without the latter... same with farmer more important than a spare parts sales yet the former couldnt use tractors without the latter and so on. We are all made up collectively to run a society and all as important as the next guy.
So in our modern world we still have layers of what is deemed "successful". For those with mental illness that method of thinking is unhelpful, full of expectations we should not have to strive for. Stay well by having achievable goals- your goals.
TonyWK
