- Faith
- Mental Health
Submitted by: Susanne Johnson
“Never give up! Never give up!” is the motto that Patrick from Willowbrook, IL, lives by in his life in recovery. He had been to a total of six treatment facilities and six psych wards before he finally found relief from his struggle with mental illness in Palm Springs, California.
His time in recovery is not long– just seventeen days– but seventeen days is a huge amount for somebody in addiction with mental health issues. Patrick did the heroic effort to reach out for help, which makes him one of our Heroes in Recovery.
He has struggled with his mental illness all his life. He describes it as a “full mania” that led him to the point where he knew he needed help. Patrick is very happy that his cravings are not giving him a hard time anymore. After only this short time of recovery, he keeps busy in his recovery and currently lives in a men’s sober living facility, where he learns a lot about how to deal with it.
Patrick understands today how important it is for him to stay on his prescribed medications to prevent relapse and give him balance in his life and in his thoughts. Patrick feels very happy and positive today, goes to daily meetings and has lots of energy to work on rebuilding his life. He is proud, that he can stay focused today about things that are important.
Patrick’s faith did a lot for his recovery today. He found his way back to God, which gives him peace of mind. There are days where he still struggles with patience, but he is actively working on all his issues and looks forward to a life in recovery. Patrick’s smile and happiness today is beautiful to see and as advice for anybody new to recovery, he likes to say, “Get a sponsor!”, as this helped him a lot in his personal development.