I have been living with serious mental illness for over 25 years, including extended periods of suicidal ideation. When I got well, I made it my mission to reach those living with serious mental illness and their loved ones so they can avoid unnecessary struggles. I know that messages of hope and inspiration can help those of us with mental illness manage and overcome our challenges and lead fulfilling lives. In fact, I created my nonprofit Psych Ward Greeting Cards to deliver these words to patients in the psychiatric unit – a time when our struggles may be greatest. I know the words that can help. I also know from my experience that it is most important that caregivers deliver these messages to their loved ones.
Here are a few messages that can help in times of struggle and in the everyday. Many are intended for someone in the psychiatric unit. You can adapt these examples to make them your own and suit the situation you and your loved one are in.
Mental illness is just a part of you, not all of you. It’s just like a lot of other serious illnesses.
It’s not your fault that you got sick. It happens a lot. And lots of people get well.
You can’t let how you’re feeling prevent you from starting your recovery journey. It’s natural to be afraid, but you have to start somewhere.
Recovery is possible, but it’s hard. The best things in life are often hard, but you can do it.
Loving yourself allows you to believe you deserve better than being sick, that there is reason to believe in a better future. Love yourself to live the life you deserve.
Mental illness may try to convince you that your dreams don’t matter. But your dreams are just as important as anyone else’s.
You may think that you’ll never get better. It’s understandable that you may feel this way, but it’s not true.
It seems so unfair, and it is. You may feel like you’re being punished. These feelings are normal. But things can and will get better.
You may feel like you’ll never be the person you were before you got sick. But you can return to your former self, even stronger for having overcome the challenges of living with mental illness.
Listen to those who care about you, like me. Believe us. Don’t be afraid to ask for support. Asking for help does not make you weak. It makes you strong.
No matter how long you have been struggling, you can get better. Sometimes it takes a while to figure things out. It’s better to go slow and do things right than move too quickly and get them wrong. Progress is progress; everything counts.
Maybe you have not found your hope. But it’s inside waiting to be awakened. I am here to help you find it.
Good things happen to good people, and you are a good person. You may not see those good things now. They may seem impossible, but they are coming.
You’re not a bad person for having mental illness. There is nothing bad or wrong about you. Today is just a challenging time for you.
You are not alone. I hope you’ll realize this soon. The sooner you do, the more quickly and easily you’ll reach recovery.
Stigma is ignorance. It is not true. Don’t listen to anything it says about you. It lies.
Stigma tries to make you feel stuck. But stigma doesn’t understand the strength you have. Challenges today will make you stronger tomorrow.
No matter how long you’ve been sick, things can change for the better in an instant, when you least expect it.
Having hope means you believe better things can happen for you. It has happened for countless people just like you.
You must believe in yourself. The challenges today are making you stronger for tomorrow.
You have to believe that amazing things await you. You are getting better right now.
Maybe all you see are bad things in your life right now. But there are good things. You need to allow yourself to see them, and they will feed your hope.
Please start believing in the people who care and love you, and what we tell you. You have to listen to love.
You have to believe in the possibilities of living a full life despite what stigma tells you.
Messages for when your loved one is in the hospital
I know you probably want to go home. But you don’t want to go home too soon. The better you are when you leave here, the better the chance you’ll stay well. You are on your way even if it doesn’t seem so today.
Hope will get you through this. We all have hope, and that hope grows when we share it with each other. You may not believe it, but it can get sparked at any moment. You’ll feel energized and empowered when it does, but you have to open your heart to hope. You have to believe in the possible.
You probably think that nobody understands what you’re going through. But your peers and other patients do. They understand your struggle. They want to support you.
I know that these may be the hardest times of your life. It might feel like you’ve lost control, like so much in your life has changed. You might be suffering. But sometimes the best things come out of great suffering. You will get better.
