Setbacks in recovery are bound to happen. I’ve yet to meet someone in recovery for any problem that hasn’t encountered a setback of some sort. I know that I have.
I recently read something in a book that was given to me in attempt to “help” me that actually caused a setback in my depression and anxiety recovery. I was offended by the ignorance of the words in this book that suggested that mental health issues are not true medical conditions (and instead a religious problem). I let this setback drag me down for a few days, feeling as if people just didn’t understand. I had a sense of loneliness and heartache and it made me want to give in and give up on the fight- even if only for a moment.
But, I had to regroup and the more I thought about it, the more it just made me want to step up and say and do more to raise awareness and advocate for people like me who suffer from a (serious) medical condition. Mental illnesses are true and real. They are diagnosable and treatable. They take just as many, if not more, lives than other illnesses.
If you encounter a setback, whether at the hands or words of someone else, or if you just slip up and stumble, I have to remind you to take a moment and regroup. Set aside time to refocus and stay strong as you press onward with the battle. Not everyone is going to understand or be supportive. We have to take our healing and surviving into our own hands. We have to be the ones who want to get better and make the changes to get there.
~Lindsay