SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION: ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT PART OF MY TREATMENT PLAN

My official treatment plan with my mental health providers wisely includes a section in which they gave me a choice to include: Spirituality/Religion (I don't separate the two as some people do but that is just me.)

Way back when I was last treated in a restraint-free mental health recovery facility, the woman (who is a Protestant Christian I believe) that gave me a chance to live and heal under her facility's roof, reviewed my case periodically to see if I was keeping my word and attending church services regularly and getting involved in my faith community's life.

I started with attending Mass again with my father and went from there. I now sing in the choir and am a member of the Knights of Columbus again. I actually just played bocce with the K of C's team for the first time last night. A lot of fun.

My point: Don't be afraid to take direction from peoples of other faiths or denominations or even from people that adhere to no faith or denomination. I sensed when I entered that facility that they placed a very high importance on having some kind of faith or spirituality to lean on and guide you in good times and bad.

My parents and my friends at NAMI (The National Alliance of the Mentally Ill) also say that religion and spirituality are important parts of a sound recovery.  My parents taught their Family to Family course and I taught their B.R.I.D.G.E.S. peer education course some years ago. We took it seriously.