When we struggle with our mental health challenges, it prevents our growth after experiencing my first bipolar episode, consumed with anger and disillusionment. I felt an injustice had occurred. I had done everything right, and I had a breakdown. Not realizing the role, I played by blaming everyone else and not taking ownership of my part.
Like a lot of patients, I did not want to take medication or deal with the illness healthily. I was opposed to seeing the psychiatrist and was more concerned with how long I would be on medication or seeing a doctor. Observing the client-physician interaction is necessary to guide the client through the treatment process. I entered the setting in an acute crisis of a full-blown bipolar episode. It was my first episode, and I had no idea what the treatment entailed.
In a clinical setting, how patients respond to treatment can and does vary depending on their receptiveness to it. The importance of medication compliance must be understood, as well as the notion that an individual’s experiences are part of being human, rather than just a pathology. You are more than a diagnosis; you are learning to adapt to the different demands in your life.
Emphasizing the need to expand their capacity is both necessary and achievable. Additionally, they have the power to create a pathway for themselves or a ditch based on their awareness of their role in the decision making process. In mental health, the patient’s awareness of being their own best advocate, rather than an adversary to themselves.
Shifting the focus to patient-centered care and the active role that patients play in their wellness. Insight and wellness aid in how patients deal with self-steem issues that are prevalent in societal views of mental illness, as well as how patients view themselves. Being mentally ill is one thing, but mental health wellness entails medication compliance as a tool of wellness, and not because you are sick. Wording does make a difference.
Changing the narrative is not just about clinical assessment, but also about how a patient view themselves and how effective they are in managing their lives. Again, patients must view themselves as they usually do, rather than as abnormal. Mental health is a comprehensive medical issue, encompassing a person’s cognitive, emotional, and physical needs. How does one exist in a potential and be resourceful in the process? Not being held captive in their imagination, but being liberated.