The Task of "Getting Better"

I would like to take a moment to discuss the subject of "getting better." I was sent to Innercept because my parents wanted me to "get better." Romantic relationships are seen as a hindrance, a roadblock along one's long journey on the road towards "getting better."

I've been told that I need to focus on "getting better." To me, this is kind of like telling me to focus on finding Jesus. It leaves you wondering, "how the hell am I supposed to do that?" Both are very vague commands that are probably meaningless. With both tasks, I wouldn't have the slightest idea where to start, or what I'm even trying to do.

There are some people who are messed up chemically, and may even themselves out with time. I was like this once back in 2006 when I had my first episode and my brain evened itself out without the aid of medications. For people like this, telling them to get better is like telling a drunk person to focus on sobering up. There's really nothing they can do but wait it out until the alcohol leaves their system (and not drink any more alcohol, of course).

Innercept employees might say that focusing on getting better means focusing on working the program. One thing I've learned from living at Innercept, which I would have guessed anyway, is that working the program doesn't fix the original problem you had that landed you at Innercept in the first place. I don't necessarily talk to most of the people who have left Innercept but I talk to people who do and I'm in the loop at least somewhat. I hear stories. People who come here because of drug problems want to get out, work the program, then leave and go back to drugs. Of course, the same may be true of any treatment facility. I guess what I'm trying to say is, "getting better" comes from within, not from living the Innercept lifestyle. Actually, I would argue that being in a place like Innercept where freedom is restricted sets people up for going crazy when they actually get freedom again. But now I feel like I might be going off on a tangent.

Anyway, I've lost my focus and forgotten what I was trying to say. Maybe I'll revisit this topic again later.