NAMI Week Ten

This was the last week of NAMI Peer-to-Peer Recovery Education Program ©. Last class agenda:

• Revisit BRIDGES Consumer Stages of Recovery. BRIDGES, Building Recovery of Individual Dreams and Goals through Education and Support, is a NAMI Tennessee copyrighted program that provides education and support to persons diagnosed with a mental illness. Here are the BRIDGES Consumer Stages of Recovery quoted from our handout:
  • Event 1 – Crisis: Psychosis, suicide attempt, mania, episodes of severe depression
  • Stage 1 – Recuperation: Stage of dependence. After trauma of mental illness episode ~ exhaustion of body, mind and spirit.
  • Emotions: Denial, Confusion, Depression, Humiliation, Isolation, Self-hatred, Resentment, Anger
  • Needs:
    • Safe place to rest – a lot of sleep
    • Someone to take care of me
    • To provide basic needs: Nutritious food, personal hygiene.
    • I am unable to take on even the simplest task of daily living
    • Medications (probably)
  • Event 2 – Decision: “Time to get going” – I must make it for myself. If I rush it, I may have a setback. If I resist it; I will feel bored and empty.
  • Stage 2 – Rebuilding: Rebuilding independence, ability to do things for myself. I need help to learn and practice living skills. I feel “up” when I succeed and “down” when I don’t.
  • Emotions: Hope, Grief, Discouragement, Boredom, Self-doubt, Trust, Fear, Excitement, Anxiety, Frustration with setbacks, Pride in success
  • Needs:
    • Tell my story: To have others hear my pain and despair
    • Learn about mental illness: “What is happening to me and why?”
    • Persons who believe in me: Mentor/teacher/friend
    • Getting and managing: Money, food, clothes, a good place to live
    • Learning (relearning) social skills and working skills
  • Event 3 – Awakening: “I am somebody. I have a dream!” Coming to know “the new me.” Starting to dream about who I am and who I can be. I am the Phoenix rising from the ashes.
  • Stage 3 – Recovery/Discovery: Building healthy interdependence: Starting to know, “Who I am and what I want to be, who I care about and who cares about me”
  • Emotions: Self-acceptance, Appreciation of others, Confidence, Anger at injustice, Assertiveness, Helpfulness to others
  • Needs:
    • A personal vision: A dream to strive for
    • People who appreciate me
    • Intimacy: Someone to love
    • Meaningful work: A chance to leave footprints
    • To advocate for self and others
  • (Source: BRIDGES, Building Recovery of Individual Dreams and Goals through Education and Support, 2006)
• Empowerment
• Advocacy
• Opportunities for involvement in NAMI ~ before class started, I had filled out and submitted an application to volunteer. In fact, the reason I initially signed up for NAMI’s Peer-to-Peer class was that I wanted to volunteer for NAMI. As I found out, I had much to learn from the class. This is spite of the fact that I have been a mental health consumer since I was 18 years old, and I am licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist.
• Mindfulness
• Evaluations
• Celebration