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Can People Recover from Mental Illness?
What recent research says about recovery from mental illness.
I have several people in my life who have struggled with mental illness. I have visited mental health wards and hospital emergency rooms. The patients were put on various medications that worked for a few months, and their symptoms resurfaced. At times, I feel helpless and hopeless.
Then the psychiatrist of one individual put her on a powerful drug as a last resort for schizophrenia. As time passed, Sarah (not her real name) improved dramatically. She progressed from a quiet, isolated individual to become the outgoing person she was inside.
Sarah went from disorganized thinking to being able to process thoughts more clearly and express herself well. She is emotionally stable and no longer has wild mood swings, hallucinations, and delusions. She has been clear of most symptoms for over five years. Can she recover completely? I hope so.
According to the National Library of Medicine, more than 86 percent of people will experience some form of mental disorder by age 45. The University of South Florida (USF) investigated how likely it is that the mentally ill can recover, thrive, and live with positive emotions, healthy relationships, and a sense of purpose.
