Acceptance
Acceptance may be one of the first steps on your recovery journey. Denial of your problems or of parts of yourself can be damaging.
Accepting yourself
Acceptance has a powerful role to play in recovery.
The people we talked to spoke about the importance of being accepted by others and how this helped them to come to terms with their mental health problems.
Learning to accept yourself, your illness and the difficulties you face is often a key precursor to recovery.
Acceptance can lead to changes in lifestyle, attitudes and expectations, a growth in self-awareness and beginning to adopt or accept a new sense of identity.
I just accept that this is the way I am, and once you've accepted it, then you can work with it.
People have found that sharing their experiences and learning about what others have been through can really help in the recovery.
Read Claire's blog where she talks bout her own acceptance and recovery
Acceptance by others
Stigma can lead to rejection, isolation, and a negative self image.
Acceptance by others, especially family and friends, promotes a sense of belonging.
The acceptance and support offered by others with similar experiences can be crucial as people re-enter the social world.
“Living in a community, in a way, of like-minded people who know what it’s all about and not being afraid to tell those who you hope you can trust and to be brave enough to say that ‘well, if they didn’t understand then so be it’, rather than to be crushed by lack of understanding – which is what happened to me for so many years.”
Feeling accepted has an impact on self-confidence and wellbeing.
Being accepted as part of a bigger picture allows people to develop a sense of purpose and feel it is possible to contribute to society.
Some people found a route to acceptance and a sense of belonging through spirituality or religious beliefs.
