A Challenge Turns into a Positive Opportunity
Imagine my shock when I opened an email from someone wanting to buy my book and found out that it was out of print! Evidently my publisher was no longer in business. I tried not to freak out! Because I use my book often as part of my mental health advocacy, I rely on its availability to those who are interested in learning more about schizophrenia and the often, complicated recovery process. I immediately emailed all the publisher contacts that I had and all the emails bounced back as “address not found.” Eventually I found someone who knew about the bankruptcy proceedings and connected me with other authors that were as shocked as I was. To shorten a very convoluted story, I eventually recovered copyrights to the book and its cover and found a very helpful freelance publisher to assist me with formatting the manuscript for republication. At this point, the book is again available on Amazon in print and kindle. Phew!
The good news is that I have more control over the book and how it is sold. The other good news is that I had a chance to add an update at the end. The update allowed me to share my son’s continued progress with his recovery. Although the original book was published just a few years ago, he continues improve. He had met recovery standards at that time but now he is doing even better. He is getting wonderful reviews from his employer, he has survived several personal stressful events without a major relapse, and he has become more involved in his community, both in his condo association and with his former church.
The question is why is that happening? Could it be the regularity of using injectable medications rather than oral medications? Could it be the change of medication itself? Could it be the practical relapse plan that he developed with his clinical team? Could it be the passing of time since his initial diagnosis and treatment 25 years ago? All are certainly possible explanations.
The good news that I want to share is this: patience, persistence, and hope can pay off for most people. Even if you are afraid that it might not happen in your case, do not give up. When someone says, “this is as good as it gets,” question it. See what else you can do. Keep trying. And be realistic. Plan for relapses so that you can catch symptoms before they become overwhelming. And appreciate the changes that you see in whatever stage of recovery that you are experiencing now.