from Gerald Butler
To Err is Human
Since we were first diagnosed, our lives have been centered on our illnesses. Family, Doctors, Co-workers, Society, and mostly ourselves, all concentrate on what is wrong with us. If we are not reminding ourselves, someone else is telling us how we must improve ourselves. Often, prior to learning how to cope with our illness we find ourselves behaving not become better, but attempting to be what others fell we should be. In recovery we must begin to develop a greater sense of self and a realization of how we got in the position we are in. By practicing Peer Support I have found this to be true: without a sense of self-worth our inner selves/egos cannot find the enthusiasm necessary for us to participate in our own recovery process. In other words, ‘If I am worthless, why try to better myself? As opposed to concentrating on the negative aspects of our lives, we must first and foremost accept the fact that we are valuable both to ourselves and to those currently going through what we have been through.
Everyone makes mistakes, that's a given. Because we have been told all our lives how useless we are, some of us have a tendency to accept our mistakes, saying, "They were right about me, I am worthless". In recovery we must: 1) acknowledge our faults and make apologies as needed 2) put in place an 'Action Plan' to assure we do not make that particular blunder again3) Put the lapse in storage on the top shelf, somewhere way in the back. And while we are at it, we should take our pride and self-esteem out of storage and begin making those a part of our everyday lives, tossing out the negative things we tend to focus on. There are many who have lost faith in the system. Having been there, we not only know where they are but also how to convince him/her to seek recovery. Thus it behooves us to do whatever it takes to get and stay well as they are in need of our help. Just as the Doctor goes through years of schooling to learn to save lives, by practicing Peer Support we have the ability to use our past experiences to do the same. We can turn the poison of the past into medicine to heal others and ourselves.
"You messed up so now we will never allow you that opportunity again" 90% of us have either been treated as such or have had it stated outright to us. However, that attitude is going the way of the dinosaur system wide. Instead we must seek out those administrators who say to us "You made a mistake, now let's you and I work as team to assure that you do not make the same error the next time". These are the leaders of a transformed system as described in the 'The Presidents New Freedom Commission Report to Congress'. When community based treatment was first implemented, mental health treatment took a giant leap into the future. Of course no one could have foreseen it, but the problem: a vital piece of the equation was missing, us. In the future, when we are asked how did Michigan's system of treatment rise to it's current level; I don't think it will have as much to do with innovative programs as it will be because of the high level of cooperation between consumers and administrators.
Finally, although she would rather remain anonymous Irene Kazieczko (Michigan Department of Community Health) was not only largely instrumental in bringing Peer Support to Michigan but she has also done everything she possibly could to assure its implementation. A while back I asked her if she had foreseen how much Peer Support would benefit consumers and until recently I did not grasp the full meaning when she answered yes. Irene believed in us more than we believed in ourselves and she still has meetings just to ask how we feel. She has pushed us, pulled us, and walked by our side until we began to have that same belief in ourselves. And now, through Peer Support, we are passing that belief on to others needing help. All I ask is that when you see Irene, be sure to give her a pat on the back. She deserves it and anyone who knows her realizes she will never give herself one.
Gerald Butler
CPSS
Consumer Advocate
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