Currently there is something cutting about the stigma of mental illness. Society, culture, economy, social media, and politics, to name a few, are playing a crucial role to damage and weaken an individual’s psych. How you should dress, how you should behave or perform, when you should get married, at what age you should have kids, how men and women should act in society. Also, seeking help from outside sources, such as a mental health professional, counsellor or therapists is considered a stigma (i.e., you are insane if you seek such professionals). All of this can have a huge impact and effect on an individual’s mental health and well-being. It becomes challenging for the individual to know who he/she is and create that personal identity.

With this said, the individual would therefore need to set measurable goals whether short- or long-term in order to pave a healthy pathway in life and gain control of their life and move forward. According to the popular blog Psychology Today, there are 6 stages to the healing process to recover from any traumatic event or from a mental illness. Each stage occurs at varying rates and depths unique to the person undergoing the crisis.

The following stages include acceptance, insight, action, self-esteem, healing, and meaning. In brief, here is what each stage encompasses:

  1. Acceptance: When we slowly but surely begin to accept our illness to heal.
  2. Insight: The ability to monitor warning signs, exacerbating mood swings and frequency of shifts.
  3. Action: The ability to shift from an old habit or behaviour to a new. For instance, if you end up sleeping late at night, you begin to learn to set an alarm early in the morning to be able to sleep early.
  4. Self-esteem: The ability to see positive changes unfold through the actions you have taken and changed in your life. This enables you to accept yourself more as an individual and feel empowered.
  5. Healing: The restoration of a sense of meaning, purpose, sense of self and quality of life, despite struggles with the illness.
  6. Meaning: This unfolds when someone actually finds wholeness in self from past experiences and choices. That is, the individual discovers familial history, personal strengths, and bonds of friendship, and belief systems which play a pivotal role in crafting purpose. Moreover, it is significant to notice an illness one holds differs from person to person. Everyone is unique in their own way to their cycle of healing.

Although described as a sequential process, it’s more accurate pictured as a woven tapestry. When one part of the tapestry is restored, all aspects of the piece shifts and improves.

Written By: Hiba Hamed, Support Counsellor at Nisa Homes Windsor