This article is dedicated to one of my clients, who made a wonderful suggestion.  This person wanted to know what my "Aha moment" was, in other words, the moment that I decided to get well.  I know that to some of you, the fact that it was a decision may sound strange.  However, it truly was.  I had already been taught all of the coping skills that I needed to get well, but I had to make the choice to use them.  So, here's how my "Aha moment" happened. 

I had come to the place that I determined to be my personal "rock bottom."  For me, my rock bottom entailed being jobless and living in a Supported Housing situation with people who were for the most part much deeper into their illnesses than I was.  I got scared.  I did not want to live the rest of my life like that.  I remember one night, living in that situation, I was reading Tony Robbin's book Awaken the Giant Within.  In this book, he chronicles how he came out of his "rock bottom" situation, and was able to help many others do the same (while becoming one of the most famous life coaches out there).  I remember thinking "why not me?"  I also thought about what would happen if I didn't get out of the situation that I was in.  Things would just go down even further, and besides being unemployed, I could end up homeless and alone.  That thought scared me.  So, I guess that is when I DECIDED to use the coping skills that I had been taught for so long to get well.  And while I'm not yet Tony, my recovery from my struggles has given me the unique opportunity to help many people, and this is a blessing. 

So, I'd like to thank my sister, Pam Grossman for recommending the book that changed my life, and Tony Robbins for the inspiration to make the choice. 

Be Well
~Emily