Post by Mel on Jan 2, 2006 20:19:19 GMT -5
Finishing school, finding a job, getting married and starting a family - many of us share these common goals for our future. But when illness strikes, dreams of a productive, fulfilling life may slip away as you struggle to get well again.
"Very often, health care providers and people with schizophrenia become focused on just the disease. They forget there's more to life than being ill," says Ronald J. Diamond, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and medical director of the Mental Health Center of Dane County in Wisconsin. "But people with schizophrenia deserve to reach their full potential. The road to recovery may be hard and frustrating at times, but it is worth fighting to have a full life despite the challenges caused by the disease."
The key, Dr. Diamond says, is to set personal goals, some short-term and some long-term.
"A lot of people with schizophrenia are overwhelmed by things they cannot do. They become convinced they cannot have goals-or when they try to set goals, they are told their goals are unrealistic or unachievable. However, it is important that providers and people with schizophrenia realize that goal setting is a critical part of the recovery process. It can help someone regain his or her sense of personhood and enjoy a fuller, more satisfying life," says Dr. Diamond, who is also a professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
For Stuart S., a consumer living with schizophrenia, setting both short- and long-term goals has been instrumental in helping him recover.
"After I became ill, I knew I wanted to someday re-enter the mainstream and reclaim my life as a productive member of society. It's a long process that takes time, but now I have a full-time job and I'm setting short-term goals. My daily goals include going to the gym after work, eating better and walking for 30 minutes on weekends," he says.
Helping You Help Yourself
Dr. Diamond encourages schizophrenia consumers to take an active part in managing the disease, and that includes looking at what you want to accomplish in your life and identifying barriers that may slow your progress. Also, it is important that health care providers work with consumers to help them realize these objectives by taking the time to discuss their goals and aspirations.
"Before you became ill, what did you picture your life would be like? Were you hoping to buy a car? Get an apartment? Have a girlfriend or boyfriend? Go to college?," asks Dr. Diamond. "Don't give up on your dreams. Dreams for all of us may need to change and adapt, but do not let the illness take these dreams away. All of us benefit by setting and achieving goals. Goals give us direction. They motivate us and give us a reason to get up and start the day."
Overcoming Barriers
Because schizophrenia is a relapsing illness, people make strides and then have setbacks. "You may get a job, but then lose it. You try again and try again. The ups and downs become very frustrating for patients and the people around them," notes Dr. Diamond.
Setbacks can be disappointing and sap your motivation, but Dr. Diamond encourages patients to be persistent. "The secret is having hope, believing that circumstances will improve," he says.
"Make sure the goals you set are reachable," adds Stuart S. "If you have set a goal and you're finding you cannot reach it, you might want to reconsider that goal and choose something more realistic."
Once you and your treatment team have found the right medications and treatment plan for you, experts recommend that you discuss personal goal setting with your doctor. You may also wish to involve your loved ones, who can provide much-needed support and encouragement.
Strategies for Success
When it comes to personal goal setting, the following tips may help you achieve your personal best:
Start small. Break down complex tasks into simpler tasks, and don't try to accomplish too much at once. If your long-term goal is finishing school, for example, develop a list of day-to-day, short-term tasks that contribute to the larger goal. Keep a daily calendar of when you will do homework. Four hours of homework at once could be overwhelming, but sitting down for 20 minutes might be more realistic.
Celebrate your successes. When you make progress toward a goal-big or small-take time to acknowledge your accomplishments. When you finish a homework assignment, for example, cross it off your list so you can see the progress you are making.
Take your medicine. Medications will not cure your disease, but they can relieve the delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, and other symptoms you may experience. When your symptoms are under control, you may find it easier to focus on your goals and complete the steps needed to achieve them.
Look beyond the label. Because of the stigma associated with serious mental illness, other people may fail to see you as an individual apart from the disease. But you are more than "just" a person with schizophrenia. You are a person who may live independently, have a job, contribute to your family and community, drive a car, enjoy a relationship and more.
Find a source of strength. Recovery is a life-long process, and ups and downs will happen. Seek comfort through supportive counseling, self-help groups, reconnecting spiritually through your church or synagogue or re-establishing bonds with those you love. Advocacy groups such as the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) can provide resources for consumers and families living with schizophrenia.
"And, most of all, keep your sense of hope and be patient," suggests Dr. Diamond. "Progress you can see and feel may take a while."
"Very often, health care providers and people with schizophrenia become focused on just the disease. They forget there's more to life than being ill," says Ronald J. Diamond, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and medical director of the Mental Health Center of Dane County in Wisconsin. "But people with schizophrenia deserve to reach their full potential. The road to recovery may be hard and frustrating at times, but it is worth fighting to have a full life despite the challenges caused by the disease."
The key, Dr. Diamond says, is to set personal goals, some short-term and some long-term.
"A lot of people with schizophrenia are overwhelmed by things they cannot do. They become convinced they cannot have goals-or when they try to set goals, they are told their goals are unrealistic or unachievable. However, it is important that providers and people with schizophrenia realize that goal setting is a critical part of the recovery process. It can help someone regain his or her sense of personhood and enjoy a fuller, more satisfying life," says Dr. Diamond, who is also a professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
For Stuart S., a consumer living with schizophrenia, setting both short- and long-term goals has been instrumental in helping him recover.
"After I became ill, I knew I wanted to someday re-enter the mainstream and reclaim my life as a productive member of society. It's a long process that takes time, but now I have a full-time job and I'm setting short-term goals. My daily goals include going to the gym after work, eating better and walking for 30 minutes on weekends," he says.
Helping You Help Yourself
Dr. Diamond encourages schizophrenia consumers to take an active part in managing the disease, and that includes looking at what you want to accomplish in your life and identifying barriers that may slow your progress. Also, it is important that health care providers work with consumers to help them realize these objectives by taking the time to discuss their goals and aspirations.
"Before you became ill, what did you picture your life would be like? Were you hoping to buy a car? Get an apartment? Have a girlfriend or boyfriend? Go to college?," asks Dr. Diamond. "Don't give up on your dreams. Dreams for all of us may need to change and adapt, but do not let the illness take these dreams away. All of us benefit by setting and achieving goals. Goals give us direction. They motivate us and give us a reason to get up and start the day."
Overcoming Barriers
Because schizophrenia is a relapsing illness, people make strides and then have setbacks. "You may get a job, but then lose it. You try again and try again. The ups and downs become very frustrating for patients and the people around them," notes Dr. Diamond.
Setbacks can be disappointing and sap your motivation, but Dr. Diamond encourages patients to be persistent. "The secret is having hope, believing that circumstances will improve," he says.
"Make sure the goals you set are reachable," adds Stuart S. "If you have set a goal and you're finding you cannot reach it, you might want to reconsider that goal and choose something more realistic."
Once you and your treatment team have found the right medications and treatment plan for you, experts recommend that you discuss personal goal setting with your doctor. You may also wish to involve your loved ones, who can provide much-needed support and encouragement.
Strategies for Success
When it comes to personal goal setting, the following tips may help you achieve your personal best:
Start small. Break down complex tasks into simpler tasks, and don't try to accomplish too much at once. If your long-term goal is finishing school, for example, develop a list of day-to-day, short-term tasks that contribute to the larger goal. Keep a daily calendar of when you will do homework. Four hours of homework at once could be overwhelming, but sitting down for 20 minutes might be more realistic.
Celebrate your successes. When you make progress toward a goal-big or small-take time to acknowledge your accomplishments. When you finish a homework assignment, for example, cross it off your list so you can see the progress you are making.
Take your medicine. Medications will not cure your disease, but they can relieve the delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, and other symptoms you may experience. When your symptoms are under control, you may find it easier to focus on your goals and complete the steps needed to achieve them.
Look beyond the label. Because of the stigma associated with serious mental illness, other people may fail to see you as an individual apart from the disease. But you are more than "just" a person with schizophrenia. You are a person who may live independently, have a job, contribute to your family and community, drive a car, enjoy a relationship and more.
Find a source of strength. Recovery is a life-long process, and ups and downs will happen. Seek comfort through supportive counseling, self-help groups, reconnecting spiritually through your church or synagogue or re-establishing bonds with those you love. Advocacy groups such as the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) can provide resources for consumers and families living with schizophrenia.
"And, most of all, keep your sense of hope and be patient," suggests Dr. Diamond. "Progress you can see and feel may take a while."