Learning more each day!

I am learning so much more each day that I spend with someone who has been where I have. I enjoy talking to everyone but when it is someone who can honestly say that they have suffered and admit it I get cold chills down my spine.
I see people on a daily basis and spend days walking among other consumers. I get to talk to some of them on a daily basis and it excites me every time I see a change in them personally. Oh I think all the people I see are important but when it is someone I know suffers a great deal with mental illness I love spending time just listening to them. I have had the opportunity to work with some of them as a mentor and hear one on one what is up with them. I think it helps me as much as it does them because I always learn something new and a different coping skill.
I learned that music is a controlling part of ones life from a member which I knew it has a lot to do with wellness, but, this particular person makes music the eye opening factor for himself in a way that benefits his recovery. He sings in a band and writes his own music. He tells me that it takes him away from his problems as he writes about them in his songs. I had never looked at music in that form or fashion but now that I think about this I realize that alot of songs I listen to I relate to so well.
There is another member who stands out who spends time with her pets on a regular basis. They are as much a part of her life as the rest of her family. I have never seen anyone so engrossed in spending time with a pet. She walks with her dog (that is the best exercise you can get), talks to him (says it doesn't usually talk back like her other family and, she takes him in the car with her or to the grocery store and he helps her when she gets scared or anxiety sets in.
I always thought those who took there pets out in the car all the time were just silly but she has made a plan to keep herself healthy. This is great!!
I learn so much from others who suffer mental illness which makes it apparent to me that all of us can learn from each other. I think peers helping other peers is the best support system in the world. I grow so tired of being told that I am different and unable to do something because of my illness. I think if I listened to these people I would be dead by now. I think I can accomplish so much more than I have been given credit for. This makes me wonder about all those who are in the hospitals and nursing homes who could if given a chance to grow and learn.
I want everyone to think before they tell someone else they can't do something. I have learned to do the same over the last few years. Growth is a necessity for life and when you have stopped learning you have stopped growing. This is what has come from this blog. I hope you enjoyed and learned from it. God Bless
Nessa