So often we hear people talk about how much strength is takes to recover, not just from psychical illnesses but also psychological illnesses.
Recovery is never easy, it takes commitment, determination and internal resources that many of us don’t stop to consider.
Yes, it is a unique experience for everyone. But over my next few blog posts I’ll be looking at some key characteristics that I believe every person that has been through a recovery journey has demonstrated.
These are the attributes that have kept us going when we wanted to give up, the personality traits that seen us through our darkest times and the skills we have employed to keep ourselves safe enough to come out the other side. We have been . . .
S trong
T enacious
R esilient
E motional
N atural
G rateful
T houghtful
H opeful
So let’s look at the first one....being STRONG
When we talk about being strong in recovery we aren’t referring to how big our muscles are. Instead, we are talking about the emotional and mental qualities necessary to deal with difficult and distressing situations.
For someone with a mental health illness, being brave enough to ask for help is often the first sign of us being #STRONG.
Admitting we have a problem or that we need help is never an easy thing to do, but we use our innate STRENGTH and will to survive to reach out to others.
We are STRONG enough to say “I can’t do this alone”.
We are STRONG enough to face our vulnerability.
And we are STRONG enough to take the first step towards changing our lives.
"SOMETIMES THE SMALLEST STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ENDS UP BEING THE BIGGEST STEP OF YOUR LIFE"
Just taking that first step can be such a terrifying experience, using our strength and courage to step foot on a new path is not going to be without its challenges. But by taking that first step we are taking back control.
We put ourselves back in the driving seat!
We choose the direction we are going to take!
We decide how long our recovery journey will be!
By being STRONG we have reached a new point from which to start. In the wise words of C.S Lewis,
“YOU CAN'T GO BACK AND CHANGE THE BEGINNING, BUT YOU CAN START WHERE YOU ARE AND CHANGE THE ENDING ”
Unfortunately, our need to be STRONG doesn’t end here. The rest of the recovery journey will continue to test us; for many, things will get worse before they begin to get better.
Staying STRONG will be a requirement throughout the entire process but taking the first step is proof that we have the inner strength to do this.
We’ll need to call on our other inner resources...the other personal qualities we all posses that make us survivors. But I’ll discuss those in posts to follow. In the mean time why not find out a bit more about becoming "Mentally STRONG" in this TEDx Talk from @AmyMorinLCSW
"The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong"