[cool09]

Is there a way to turn this around? I feel like my MI has caused permanent damage. No amount of therapy can bring me back to the normal person I was as a teen.

[Shazerac]

Sorry you are struggling. I don’t know what, if anything, can make you like you were before. Everyone changes over time. With or without mental illness.

[Patagonia]

Maybe you need to change your point of view? I’ve been struggling with MI for 29 yrs! I don’t wanto look back or go back to the person I was. Look forward. Move forward. Who do u wanto be right now...& in the future...???

[cool09]

The only normalcy I had was prior to 13 so that's the only thing I have to go on. My speech was effected so I don't see how a therapist can help.

[Aviza]

Therapy can help. In fact in therapy we have discussed this very thing. You cannot go back to thd past or bettervtimes but you can become stable and create a future your proud of. I've gone from being normal to being crazy, of course i wish i were normal crazy hit in my 30's. But meds make me normal and the blessing is i qualify for disability can pursue my dreams. Working part time i make more than i did working full time. I have better insurance. All because i am disabled.

There are things i miss about my old life many things but i write songs about it, and try to prosper in my current life. I fantasize about making enough not to need disability but i haven't made it big yet. I am really learning a lot from therapy it's helping me appreciate who i am and not live in total regret, believe me i have many especially when it comes to my deceased son.

[MickeyCheeky]

It's not possible to go back, but it IS possible to keep moving forward. I'm sorry you're struggling

[Wild Coyote]

Honestly? I'd like to do it all over without illnesses, too.

Since I can't, I will do my best to adjust, to enjoy the moment and try to keep moving forward.


WC

I wish it were possible to go back because like you, my life went off course pretty early. What created my problems began at 3, so I've really struggled with the notion that therapy could help at all. How can I get better if I've never known anything else?

But it's not possible to undo the past, or to control what the future will bring. All we can do is tackle each day as it arrives and hope that our efforts will eventually lead us to the day where we will wake up and no longer feel like we're struggling.

[cool09]

I have to take a giant leap back. My mirapex raised my depression in February now I have to stop it due to insomnia. I don't want to go back to depression. I get this horrible sensation in my head and I can't organize my thoughts. I've taken every other med. In fact, my last PDOC refused to see me again because he did all he could. (He didn't say it that way, he lied to me.) And I can't work on my Asberger's in therapy if I get depressed.

[katydid777]

You can't go back, but you can feel better with therapy, and maybe meds.

[eskielover]

Making a future is the real key....that diesn't have to be based on the past or what even felt nirmal then. Making ones NEW normal with new learned skills that make it possible.

My life at 65 is absolutely NOTHING like this life I started over at the age of 54. I never liked my childhood & landed in a bad marriage for way too long. Situations came together that created a major depression in me that almost killed me.

I was finally able to change my situation with a complete change if environment & that made a durptising change for the good in my mental health & honestly have never been healthier in my whole life.

Disclaimer....this kind of solution ONLY works when the mental health issues are caused situationally & one doesn't take the problem situations with them when they leave

Non situational conditions can be helped by therapy to learn how to recognize & handle the illness when it does create problems in life & learn better functional ways or handling it.

Some illnesses can only be controlled & then focus on what yiu want the future to look like within those limitations.

This is likely a disappointing thought but to my knowledge one does not recover from mental illness. True, one can recover a sense of normalcy through drugs, therapy, and management, but the disease is like diabetes or kidney disease in that it cannot be cured. It is daunting at times the knowledge this just isn't going to go away; and, at times we feel like throwing in the towel at the very time we need to step up our work and attention.

A lot of people here can relate. It is good you have reached out. If you can reach out in the real world too. If you haven't a therapist already now might be a good idea to get yourself one. Even a chat with your family doctor might open up the doorway to some help and improvement.

[cool09]

I've taken every medication out there the last 35 years and now my pharmacist tells me that parnate causes insomnia. So now I'll have to stop the parnate and mirapex, the combination that raised my depression. I've spent most of the last 17 years in bed. Guess I'll have to go to TCM.

[Shazerac]

Is there anything you can take for insomnia so you don’t have to stop taking your Meds that helped you with depression? I’m 62 and I’ve been dealing with depression for 40 years. I so understand how you feel like this has been going on FOREVER. I’m going through a phase of anger about it lately. I’m sick and tired of being sick.