Overcoming Mental Illness

If you’re holding on, you might have just a slight belief that things can get better. This is what this episode, and this podcast, is about. Hope. The little light that can banish all darkness. Do you know your Happy Place? How often do you go there? This happy place, and light, and hope can be a savior in times of illness. For you, I wish the continued strength and courage of hope and light wherever you are in your overcoming journey.

Has anyone said something to you, and it has really stuck?I’m not talking about negative comments or anything like that, but rather in this episode I’ll share 3 key things that people have said to me at the right moment in my journey with mental health and mental illness.

What is the power of good health?Let’s say you wanted to complete a challenging goal. For me, that was my undergrad at University of Guelph.Looking back, the first 50% of my earned credits took 6 long, struggling years, while unwell. Then in 2008 in good health the other 50% of university credits I completed in 2 years, graduating with a Bachelor of Science.

What is passion? What is purpose?For me, these are key traits that can create a path and meaningful life.Put another way, passion is everything. And passion without purpose is nothing.If you’ve found what you love, find a way to apply it; find your purpose.

For me, part of my recovery journey in 2007 included an Iced Cap, a wine tasting, and finally feeling joy and elation after what was a few years struggle.The frozen sweet Iced Cap on a warm summer day gave glimpse into feeling joy and, two years later in my Undergrad elective course, I felt redeeming joy on a sunny Spring afternoon after the oenology class.

What does it mean to be deserving? To be worthy?It is my view that these are not based on what we’ve accomplished or done.To me, feeling worthy is a worthy ideal. It can mean loving, accepting and caring for ourselves exactly as we are, here and now.

What did I learn late? I learned that it is okay to learn things late.Certainly, coming off my antipsychotic medications, then relapsing and going back on to medications was a valuable lesson for me, still to this day. I learned it can take time and it is possible to heal.

Where do you stand on the topic of medication?For me, with a major mental disorder, it has been obvious that when on the right medication, things generally go well and I can even excel.It comes with varying side effects, and the ones I’ve had have been challenging but manageable.

If the onset of schizophrenia wasn’t challenging enough, I’d also had 2 year-long bouts of depression. What the doctor calls negative symptoms.For me time and persistent hope that I would overcome it got me through and back into my undergrad where the best was yet-to-come.Therapy, and a great counsellor, helped guide me back and being open to counselling and going through it has completely changed my course.

Picture you’re lying in bed and you hear a military tank rolling down the street.Was this really happening?How did I overcome this? In a phrase, hold on. I did overcome this onset of illness and to this day, the perseverance I gained from doing so is one of my greatest strengths.

What do long-distance hunters and those with major mental illness have in common? In this episode, I discuss how they play the long game, making decisions and healing over time.I have been lucky in my life to have family and a support network who journey alongside me and have my positive mental health at heart. I hope the same for you.

Hello, welcome to my podcast covering my living with major mental illness, the ups and downs, the interesting, troubling, and hopeful moments, and overcoming. This episode introduces my journey, from 2003-now, the onset of my illness and the journey it’s been.