A SPECIAL REPORT 54 NEW DIRECTIONS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA • A POSTGRADUATE MEDICINE SPECIAL REPORT Recovery from a psychiatrist’s viewpoint

Recovery is not the same as cure. Recovery from mental illness is the process of having more to life than just illness. It is an ongoing process rather than simply a goal that can be achieved. Recovery from the stigma of mental illness may be as difficult as recovery from the illness itself. Several common, but incorrect, beliefs can interfere with the recovery process. Myths include the belief that the illness has an inherently downhill course, that rehabilitation is useful only after stabilization, and that people with schizophrenia can only work at low-level jobs. People who have schizophrenia have reported that their own process of recovery was helped by their determination to get better, an understanding of the illness, taking personal responsibility, hav-ing friends who accept them, an optimistic attitude, and spiritual beliefs that help them find meaning in life