What Can We Do When Facing Challenging Times?

What can we do when facing challenging times?

Uncertainty describes what many of us face right now – whether in the throes of  the mental health recovery process or the concern about how political events will impact mental health-related programs.  As a mother of a son who has recovered from schizophrenia, I understand how overwhelming and discouraging the recovery process itself can be. Often times it was easy to think nothing was going to change or even that his symptoms would get worse.  Now additional stress complicates the usual trauma or apprehension. Unpredictable political events are creating panic, fear, and stress, especially for those dependent on government services. Will I be able to get my medication, get the medical care that I need, and/or support my family?

When we feel out of balance and unsure about what to do to facilitate healing or cope with persistent stress, we need to find a way to get perspective and live with times of uncertainty. Here are some possible suggestions:

1.     Never give up.

2.     Look for support.

3.     Identify nuggets of hope.

Never Give Up

When you think that there is nothing you can do, confront that pessimism. Caregivers, myself included, will sometimes hear, “this is as good as it gets.” Check that out. Are you sure? New medications continue to appear and older ones with new protocols are often options. Look for different therapies and interventions. Persistence can help you discover new directions.

This same determination is essential for coping with political upheaval. Don't allow yourself to be paralyzed by fear or thoughts that there is nothing I can do. Change happens when people act. Action can take many forms – phone calls, posts, non-violent protests, letters, talking to others, joining causes. Find ways to make your needs known. In addition to actually moving toward change, directing your frustration in positive ways to make changes can reduce feelings of helplessness.

Look for Support

Feeling isolated can add to your sense of hopelessness. In contrast, being with others who really understand offers reassurance that you are not alone in your quest for change. One of the best things that my husband and I did early my son's recovery process was joining the NAMI Family to Family program. Being around others who really understood our special needs and our daily life experiences provided the support and boost that we needed.

Watching the political news unfold can be isolating as well without a support group. Find friends with similar viewpoints or join groups to learn more about what you can do to make changes. Being around others who understand, have similar concerns, or can give you ideas for how to take  positive, change-oriented steps can be both helpful, productive, and encouraging.

Identify Nuggets of Hope

This is my favorite suggestion and involves some brain-training. Usually when someone is going through a tough time, they succumb to negative thinking. Pessimism is an easy trap when surrounded by adversity and uncertainty. Looking for nuggets of hope can begin to change a sense of  bleakness.  The idea is to identify positive changes whether big or little and celebrate these changes.  For instance, during my son's struggles, he began to brush his teeth again. While that may seem like a minor thing to celebrate, it was a step toward self-care again. He was confronting the inertia of  his negative symptoms. When he reached the moment of no longer hearing voices any more, that was a huge change to celebrate. Recognizing the changes along the way, whether large or small, can give you a sense of hope and a reminder that improvement is possible. This is not the power of positive thinking that expects wonderful things to happen just because you think them. Instead, it means looking for what has already happened and recognizing it as a step in the right direction.

We can do that in the political realm as well. Find out who your mental health advocates are. What state or national representatives champion mental health? What mental health organizations and civil rights groups lobby to protect treatment and care?  Look for those who have similar concerns and support their efforts. Identify the way in which people are speaking up, the way in which programs continue due to judicial or legal protection, and the magnitude of the resistance to present or proposed cuts. Look for hope because that will keep you moving forward. Survivors of adversity are not those who cave to negativity, but those who look for light to give them encouragement.