Happy, Happy Birthday!

On April 28, 1984 ,  I was sick and tired of being sick and tired of drugs, booze and though I had no idea of it, but I had mental illnesses I decided to check myself into a halfway house for Recovering alcoholics/addicts and those with mental illnesses. That's my sobriety/clean/in recovery from mental illness birthday, 29 years ago. I decided to get into Recovery because I hurt like Hell and was told that if I stayed in Recovery my life will get better. They were right! I've seen many a Dually-Diagnosed (mental or emotional disorder and drugs and/or alcoholism) individual say that "I didn't get into Recovery to be miserable!" I tend to, mostly, agree with that, but a lot of people when they go through tough times they will relapse. Many of us who relapse will die due to it and a more sad fact is that they take others out with them! Folks? We have got to do something about the situation that I just mentioned! A thought we may interject into the thinking of those like me who are going through tough times is "Stay in Recovery, don't do anything stupid and on the day those tough times are gone, you'll still be Sober/clean and alive and a free man. Plus, you won't feel horrible because you would not have hurt anyone and you won't have the Law chasing you. If you or your friend or person you've observed whom is obviously struggling you can refer them to the police/mental health facility.They will eventually be referred to people like me and I will tell them that I've been just like them and now I'm pleased as punch to be clean/sober/in Recovery by taking my meds and absolutely love life. Plus, I love damn near everyone and I will not cause anyone harm plus I've talked over 20 people out of suicide, I love being a model citizen. I love Recovery!

Bullying Or Helping Into Recovery?

If those who have mental illnesses are made fun of and bullied instead of given loving guidance for them to seek help then those with the mental illness may, and I said " may", hurt themselves or others. I asked for help for a problem with drugs when attending college and discovered that I had been born with several mental illnesses. Almost all of my childhood I had been bullied for I was "different" than the other children and I often wished I would die. Plus, I'm not trying to scare anyone here, but I've known how to make a bomb since I was twelve years old and today am pleased that I'm naturally docile. Not everyone with a mental illness is docile if bullied. Of those with mental illnesses in society, as is now known of grade school children, if preturbed enough are more likely to act out and hurt themselves if not others. What I suggest to anyone who knows someone who appears to be struggling with a potential mental illness and doesn't appear violent is to suggest to them in a kind, gentle way that there are people who,"...know a lot about ways for them to get to feeling better."  And, if they appear to want that type of help then do some research and get the telephone number of a mental health clinic and call them to arrange an interview with a doctor for the individual. You may not just save the person's mental health, but a life/lives as well!

Ouch!

 I see how much rougher I've had it in pre and young Recovery than those who have more recently been diagnosed as alcoholics/addicts with mental illness(s). As I am quite pleased that we've been able to "raise the bottom" that us Dually-Diagnosed must endure in order to seek Recovery. Still, people like us must "hit a bottom", meaning experience the type of unmanageability in life which causes people with the drug/alcohol/mental illness so much pain and suffering that we reach out for help. My observation of many a mental health care professional facility has noticed that those who receive such services from psychiatrists, social workers/therapists/case managers has resulted in several potential dangers, as I will note one main one here. The fact that hitting bottom as I have spoke of here when us Dually Diagnosed have received care when their bottom is not as painful as years past I applaud this newer health care technology, except for one thing. That being many who have not hurt as bad as this older Dually-Diagnosed individual, when that person is tempted to drink/drug/quit taking their psyciatric medications, they have no "burning memories" of how awful it was before Recovery. The usual result? Relapse. The type of relapse that causes death of the one who relapses or they can, yes, hurt others! Damn it! My bottoms, yes people like me can survive relapse, got to be so horrible that when I, now in Recovery of 20 plus years, consider relapse, my roommate/Sponsor or just on my own reminds me of that sheer horror of what active drinking alcoholically, using drugs, combined with my several different mental illnesses was like! If I'm honest with myself of what it was like I have little problems in staying in Recovery. If one like me has no sheer hell to remember, relapse is so much easier. By the way, it is "suggested" to never relapse, about like the rip-cord on a parachute. When you jump out of the airplane @ 15,000 feet it is suggested you pull that rip-cord, but you don't have to!

Love From A Power Greater Than Me

 As I go along in Recovery I need to remember how rough life was before and early on as I became a self-diagnosed alcoholic and drug addict plus my mental illnesses had been diagnosed by a psychiatrist. I found it all hard to swallow and stomach. Today, some nearly 28 years into successful Recovery what I seem to think are tough problems I compare to the truely rough spot I came from. I can see how problems I now have are nothing but inconveniences. I didn't get into Recovery to be miserable, but know better than to relapse when problems occur in my life. To act out negatively will make only a harder life to have to live through. My recent problems will get worked out and get solved. I must not do anything stupid and I know whst stupid is. I actually have a good life and every life will have problems. With help I solve these small problems and then am rewarded with a proper feeling of satisfaction. Life is a series of solving problems and feeling damn good about it all!