Wellness Plan 2008 2009 2010 2011

[ ] Take my meds every day

[ ] Lose 20lbs again

[ ] Get a Job

[ ] Get to bed before 3 A.M.

[ ] Go back to my support group

[ ] Tell one friend about my illness

[ ] Do not yell and scream!

[ ] Say Thank you More

[] ALWAYS FINISH WHAT I…..

Title: Long-term Goals

At the beginning of each year, I like to write down what my goals are for the year.  Before I was a blogger I did this in a notebook that I normally would lose so I never had to see how many of my goals I missed or never ever attempted.

Unfortunately, since I’ve been blogging I tend to write a post about my goals, and well, as you know, anything you write online stays online… FOREVER!!! 

We’ll I found my post I did last year and I thought before I write my 2011 goals you should at least see what my 2010 goals were. Well, that is if you even care, still I’ll post it anyway…

Goals for 2010 Mental Health humor

Our 2010 goals and our mission is to educate about recovery!  Over the next few months I will work on teaching myself to draw caricatures for this years cartoon-a-thon in May.  I will take time to talk to many of The Mental Health Humor readers and FaceBook friends to hear their stories of recovery and to write about them in my blog.  We want to hear from you.  How is your recovery going?  Are you able to use humor as a coping tool? Or as a way to break the ice to talk to someone about mental health?

For many, this subject is hard to start talking about, they might feel anxious and worried about how others might look at them if they knew they have so-called “mental disability.”  While others can scream it from the rooftops about mental health… Granted they might end up in the psych ward.  Needless to say, both are not always easy and both take courage to do. My goal this years is to get out into the public and do a few presentations for humor as a coping skill tool.

Right now we live in a time of great distress.  Never before in the history of man has so much stress from so many different areas in our lives attack our minds and sanity.  Whether it is from war, earthquakes, economy, family or our health, it seems like we are being bombarded with things causing sighing and groaning.  Is it a real surprise to anyone that our mental health system is being overloaded with people looking for help in any way, shape or form they can get it?

We peers who have found balance in our own recovery….  If that be through medications, herbal or cognitive therapies … staying in recovery is crucial.  How can we fortify ourselves to make sure we can stay there?  It can be as simple as just getting involved.  Involved how?

Today, we have so many venues that did not exist 15 years years ago.  Social Networks such as Facebook, Twitter and such, can give you opportunities to meet positive like minded people.  But, Caution must be shown.  The Internet can be dangerous.  Make sure you never share personal information on public places.   With the right amount of caution you will have at your finger tips a plytheroa of information and resources.

My goal is to get more socially involved with a few online networks.

What else can you do?

One thing I want to do in 2010 is to get more involved with my local support groups and even start a DBSA Depression Bipolar Support Alliance, NAMI  National Association on Mentally Illness, or other groups that are peer lead and focus on recovery.  We should never feel like just because we are in “recovery” that we don’t need to go to groups.  Yes, I do understand that not all peer support groups are created equal.  Some can be pity parties while others might feel too opinionated.  If a group does not fit your needs or the needs of the community, why not just start your own group?

O.k. yes I cheated since I just started the DBSA Port Charlotte Group that meets now every Monday from 6:30 to 7:30 at the Haven Drop In Center.   I like to use information from all sorts of organizations in the group. One piece NAMI, a few parts of DBSA and such.  Last night the groups attendance was just me.  Am I discouraged? Not at all! I know it can take a while to build a core of group members so I will just keep at it every Monday.  Hey, if no one shows up next week, I’ll just use their pool table and shoot a few rounds then lock up.

The point of my goals  is to be active in my recovery.  If they are going to negatively effect my recovery then they are not goals but snares trapping my into a negative thinking process.

Mental Illness is not the end.  It’s just a “illness” that can be treated.

I know it might not seem so right now but there is light at the end of the tunnel let open that tunnel in 2010 and bring hope to as many peers as possible!

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    Last reviewed: 16 Dec 2010