self-advocacy

It wasn’t until I took the training to become a peer specialist that I heard the term “self-advocacy.” Immediately it terrified me. Being an innately introverted person I had nightmarish visions of having to stand before a group of people and ask for something for myself. In more than 25 years of psychotherapy no one ever challenged me to ask for what I wanted or needed. So, I was terrified.

Terrified because right away I understood that I would have to rely on some deeply held belief that I actually “deserved” what I might be asking for. I wasn’t sure I had that belief yet. So, it became apparent to me pretty quickly that self-advocacy at its root is based on self-love and a belief that we in fact do deserve to get what we need and want to thrive in this world.

This concept is difficult to swallow for many of us who have been diagnosed with a mental illness. One has to keep in mind that from the start of our journey through the psychiatric system we have been told what we need and should want for ourselves. We have been told that a roof over our head, food in our belly and minimal symptoms is what we should be shooting for. I would venture to say that never has a person with a mental health diagnosis gone to a psychiatrist and heard the words “You are an expert on you. What do you want to try?”  From my experience and the experiences of the peers who have confided in me, this scenario just doesn’t exist. So we get used to being told what to do and what our life expectations should be.

If we are fortunate enough to be introduced to the recovery movement then our perspective has a chance to change, grow and mature. From my experience, self-advocacy is a process of getting to know ourselves, what we want and what we need to grow and thrive. It is the process of finding our voice and gathering the courage to use it to further our recovery and the recovery of our peers.

It begins with our families. It begins when we educate our loved ones about what we are dealing with and teach them how to support us in our endeavors. Self-advocacy within the context of our family lives means asserting the role we wish to and are capable of playing in our family dynamic. There is a tendency within even the most supportive families to see support as paternalism. Adults with mental illness are still adults. Therefore as adults, it’s our duty to assert what we can contribute to the family and take an active role in the health and wellness of our families.

Self-advocacy means playing an active role in our treatment with health care providers. It means being intentional in our actions. Too often we allow our doctors and therapists to come up with goals for our treatment plans that are therapeutic. These goals look great on paper and are definitely insurance billable, but have very little to do with how we are actually living. We know what works for ourselves and what we want to accomplish, so why not have that reflected in our treatment plans? I’m not saying it’s easy, but if we are not defining our goals and visions for our recovery then what in the world are we doing? What in the world are we spending our time and money on?

Self-advocacy is about social justice as well. Without fair and equitable laws that protect our rights we find ourselves in abject poverty, living in substandard housing, being abused by predators, and being disregarded by the psychiatric community. Self-advocacy means joining your voice with the voices of your peers to stop forced seclusion, ECT, and restraints in hospitals. It means demanding equal and fair treatment when seeking safe and affordable housing. Self-advocacy means using your voice to stop discrimination in employment. It means holding our institutions and our society accountable for the treatment we receive in all areas of our life. It means fighting stigma.

Not everyone is going to be at the top of their game in all areas of self-advocacy. But there is a role for us to play. We can all do our part in whatever area we choose.