The Ups and Downs of Recovery

Hi Sally,

You are quite right, recovery is a long journey and there are lots of stops and starts along the way. There are times when people with mental health problems turn to drugs or alcohol to cope. The power of drugs and alcohol cannot be underestimated. Once they (drugs or alcohol) have a person in their grasp they do not want to let go. There are many stops and starts along the way to break their power so that people can live a healthy life. There is also the mental health journey of recovery that has ups and downs. There are problems with people not wanting to take their medication because it makes them put on weight or because they think they are well (and they might be) so they stop taking their medication thinking they don't need it anymore. And this can mean yet another sad trip to the mental health unit. It is a long journey with lots of ups and down. This is why family members have to look to after themselves and stay healthy so that they can keep on hanging in there. And mostly we want to right? Because we love our family members living with mental illness.