In life there are some challenges that we can overcome quickly. Some processes require much longer periods.
I recall my divorce. It seemed to take forever. There is a saying in the Army "the green machine takes time" - meaning you cannot hurry up the process, it is what it is, slow. Same with the public service.
When we are first diagnosed with a mental disorder we do what we have always done with other traumas- we think of the "quick fix". Broken limbs usually have a standard time period of healing before plaster is removed, divorce takes a process of time following 12 months separation, promotion at work wont come fast and so on. With mental illness we go through a period whereby most of us will need to accept our condition then accept that it is possibly lifelong. This is daunting for us, suddenly we are placed in the "forever ill" sector that we see a few others in our life entering. We are now in the basket of the minority, forever unwell and after more time we realise the "fixes" don't mean you are indeed "fixed". We have to accept a level of repair made possible through a labyrinth of medical visits, medications and stigma. All this acceptance takes its toll, worry on top of worry, we continue to try to make it all right to no avail. You are struggling, what can you do?
Acceptance whether it be your diagnosis, taking medications, psych visits, therapy and so on is not an overnight possibility. Just like all those challenges listed above some things take time...acceptance takes time. To just realise that is the first step, then you can sit back and let the process begin, to eliminate your urgency for cure is a major step forward in the process.
So in effect you should develop short medium and long term steps towards a level of recovery (repair) that eventually you (and family) will be happy with. After all, we are only mentally impaired using "normal" or "average" fully functional people as a gauge are concerned. Having a mental illness is normal for us considering our history. Getting that in perspective is an advantage.
So to drag ourselves over the hurdle into the limits of normality is to continue our inclusion in society. Then with medical maintenance we can remain on the boundaries of normal living in society albeit with our quirkiness behavior. At that point, years following diagnosis, the end of that long term part of your plan, you'll look back and sigh...."I've done it, I survived, I've accepted myself as me, quirks and all...
TonyWK
