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Mary Ellen Copeland, Ph.D.'s Archive

Components of Recovery

Recovery has only recently become a word used in relation to the experience of psychiatric symptoms. Those of us who experience psychiatric symptoms are commonly told that these symptoms are incurable, that we will have ... Read more... »

Using Advocacy as a Self-Help Tool

To truly experience wellness and recovery I have learned that I want to be, and have to be an advocate for issues that I feel passionately about. A big part of recovery for me has ... Read more... »

Building and Keeping a Circle of Friends

One of the most important wellness tools for many people is spending time with people you enjoy. They have found that regular contact with family members and friends who are supportive keeps them well. They ... Read more... »

How Do You Know When You’re Recovered?

Getting well is a process that began for me a long time ago. I never expect to finish. Given different responses from responsible adults and health care professionals in my life, my journey might have ... Read more... »

Coping with My Mom’s Mental Illness

I first became aware of "mental illness" when I was eight years old. My mother began spending all of her time sitting in a rocking chair-rocking, crying, very frightened and unbearably sad. No one asked ... Read more... »

Five Steps for Dealing with Trauma

Did you know that bad things that have happened to you in your life can cause or worsen psychiatric symptoms? More and more research confirms the strong connection between traumatic life events and psychiatric symptoms. ... Read more... »

Are You Lonely?

Many years ago, when I was a young adolescent, an adult in my life said that she dreamed about a great chasm, a chasm so deep that she couldn't see to the bottom of it, ... Read more... »

Depressed? What Do You Do Now?

When you are depressed, it is often very hard to think clearly or make any decisions. It is also hard to think of anything to do to help yourself feel better. This brochure will help ... Read more... »

Taking Back Control of Your Life

In my studies, I have found that many people who experience psychiatric symptoms or have had traumatic things happen to them feel that they have no power or control over their own lives. Control of ... Read more... »

Why Suicide is Not a Good Idea

Experiencing psychiatric symptoms is horrible. Many people who try to live with these symptoms every day sometimes feel so discouraged they want to end their lives. Suicide is never a good idea. Why not? Psychiatric symptoms ... Read more... »

Starting an Exercise Program: The Right Time Is Now

If you live where winter means snow, ice and mud, you may have avoided exercising, or may have been promising yourself that when spring comes, you will exercise regularly. Now is the time to begin! ... Read more... »

Joining a Support Group

In the past, I've discussed ideas and strategies for relieving loneliness. About 12 years ago, I began my studies of how people who experience troubling emotional symptoms like loneliness, anxiety, depression, mania and psychosis relieve ... Read more... »

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