Believe You Can Recover and You’re Halfway There.

by Cindy Highsmith  

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” In my opinion, Ford’s observation is true with respect to recovery from mental illness. In order to recover, it is vital to believe that you can do so. Research and my personal experience support this view.

Over the past several years, Drs. Fisher and Deegan at the National Empowerment Center have been conducting research into the factors most important to people’s recovery from mental illness. Structured interviews with people who have recovered revealed that one of the most important steps to recovery (if not the most important step) is a belief that recovery is possible.

My own recovery experiences also illustrate the importance of a belief in recovery. A few years ago, I was a consumer in the mental health system, but before that, I was a mental health technician working in a residential program and studying psychology in college. It was my college studies that inspired me to believe in recovery from mental illness, although staff at my place of employment did not talk about recovery at that time. Research papers that I read supported the notion that complete recovery from mental illness is possible, and I was convinced. Sometime later, when I experienced psychosis and eventually acknowledged my illness, recovery was the first thing on my mind. I thought to myself that if it hadn’t been for my prior belief in recovery from mental illness, I would never have recovered, but would have instead continued to focus on suicide. Of course, my recovery was by no means instantaneous, because a belief in recovery is only half the battle. However, my path toward wellness became much clearer very quickly once I finally believed that there was such a path for me.

People with mental illness can easily feel discouraged about their prospects of recovery, either due to their own depression or to discouraging and stigmatizing attitudes from others around them. If you do believe that recovery is possible for you, congratulate yourself—You’re halfway there!

If you’re still skeptical about your chances for recovery, you can bolster hope within yourself. Consider reading other people’s recovery stories, which are available in books and on the internet. Keep an open mind about what is possible for you and surround yourself as much as possible with others who believe that you can recover. Focus on your dreams and how you can make them come true. While you want to remain realistic (recovery can be hard work!) strive to be as optimistic as you can, because your positive thoughts will lead to positive outcomes for you. If people close to you are pessimistic about your future, consider whether it might be helpful to ask them to be more supportive. Finally, seek out additional positive support— possibilities include but are no means limited to a NAMI support group or your SDC life coach. Florida Self-Directed Care exists because we believe in your capacity to recover. Do you believe in yourself, too?