The word 'recovery' can mean different things to different people.
Taken literally the Macquarie Dictionary says it's 'to regain a former (and better) state or condition'. But in the world of mental health recovery is more nuanced than this.
So to find out what recovery really means, we asked people living with mental illness what the word meant to them.
As part of SANE's COVID-19 mental health series, one of our Help Centre counsellors shares their top tips for coping with anxiety.
If you’re like most people in Australia, you’ve been dealing with uncertainty and change because of COVID-19. If this has caused you anxiety, you’re not alone. It’s natural to experience challenging emotions during a pandemic. But, if you’re finding you can’t get a break from anxiety, stress and worry, it’s important you have strategies to help you get through.
Anita is a SANE Peer Ambassador, mother, vet and writer who lives with Bipolar 1. From her experience of hospital and recovery, she reflects on the importance of a trusting and collaborative relationship with her psychiatrist.
I don’t clearly remember the first time I met my psychiatrist. I was too sick.
My first encounter with mental illness was sudden and brutal. Psychosis swept in within a week of my first baby’s birth 14 years ago. That episode was the beginning of my bipolar 1 disorder.
It’s common to label people considered self-centred or egotistical as a narcissist. But what exactly is narcissism? How common is narcissism? And how do we know when someone is living with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)?
The media is a key source of information about mental illness for the public, and research shows media coverage can influence public attitudes and perceptions of mental ill-health.
But when it comes to complex mental illnesses such as psychosis and schizophrenia, media coverage tends to emphasise negative aspects, often choosing to focus on portrayals of violence, unpredictability and danger to others.
These portrayals can give an exaggerated impression of the actual rate at which violent incidents occur. In reality, such incidents are rare and are often better accounted for by other factors.
Meet Jenni.
The reality of stigma surrounding mental health issues – Q&A with Jenni.
Jenni is a creative, positive person who believes that “the glass is always half full.” She enjoys sharing her mental health journey with professionals, carers, the general public and with others who have a lived experience of mental health issues.
Jenni is a SANE Australia Peer Ambassador. She has lived with a diagnosis of schizo-affective disorder for over 20 years. Schizo-affective disorder is a mental health condition marked by a combination of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania.
In this Q&A guest blog, Jenni shares some of her experiences about the everyday impact of stigma surrounding mental health issues and why she feels so strongly about changing attitudes and educating others about complex mental health issues.
Caroline Storm began supporting SANE Australia almost 20 years ago after the tragic loss of her daughter, Ann, to mental illness.
'It was really the care and compassion of Barbara that sparked my relationship with SANE. She was a wonderful comfort to me during such a dark period,' says Caroline.
'To this day, it means so much to me to be able to support a cause that works so hard to make a meaningful difference to the lives of people affected by complex mental illness.'
