This month’s article is going to be subjective and from my heart. I have been involved with NAMI for about four years. I truly can say the component that motivates me to continue my affiliation is the hope I’ve seen in many consumers.  The hope that comes from people who are working towards recovery is quite inspiring for me and gives me the emotional energy to continue to help others.

Listening to the stories of people recovering from a mental illness has allowed me to finally understand the full concept of recovery. We are all working for a common cause and that is the future of mental health care.

Curiosity over the years has made me wonder…how do some people with very serious illnesses function so well that I am unable to see the difference and not “pick them out of the crowd?” I realized that recovery is a real possibility.

People in recovery can be inspirational. They talk of their first signs and symptoms and their struggle to accept the illness. The work of finding the “best fit” for treatment is often very lengthy. Learning to use positive coping skills can be a tremendous challenge. Looking into the future can be frightening.  However, someone in recovery has mastered all of this and has the essential ingredient of recovery: HOPE. Hope allows anyone with a serious illness to take control and move forward. Dreams and goals empower people to use new
treatment and coping skills to be productive within society.

We all need to understand that it is possible to have a happy productive life following diagnosis of a brain disorder. NAMI has a program called In Our Own Voice where trained consumers facilitate a presentation and tell their stories. Northwest Community Hospital offers this program to inpatients, family members, and/or staff. The responses to these presentations are positive and empowering.

My message to everyone is to take time to listen to someone in recovery tell his or her story. Hopefully, the insight you gather will help you understand the recovery process and the power hope gives all of us. The more hope we generate means we will have more people living healthy productive lives.

Happy New Year to Everyone!

Carol Ziolo, RN LCPC