About the Recovery Process

Mental health recovery is a process of working to achieve your goals while living with a mental health condition.

It’s important to remember that mental health recovery is an ongoing process, not a single outcome. Each person’s recovery experience is unique. By making a personalized plan for managing a mental health condition, you have the best chance of living a life that is meaningful to you.

Learn about the building blocks
of the recovery process

Just as the recovery process is ongoing, your participation in and commitment to your treatment should be ongoing too. Here are some things you can do to stay actively engaged:

Understanding
Your Condition
Staying on
Medication
Setting
Goals
Looking After
Your Total Health
Creating
a Strong
Recovery Team
Getting the
Support You Need
Relapse
Recognition
& Management

NEXT Your Role in the Recovery Process

Understanding
Your Condition

The more you know about schizoaffective disorder, the more actively you’ll be able to participate in your treatment.

Learning about the challenges of—and treatments for—a lifelong mental health condition can also help you stay committed to the recovery process. As you get deeper into the recovery process, you may find it helpful to share your experiences, either in a group setting or by becoming a peer counselor. Other people living with schizoaffective disorder may really benefit from what you have to say.
Staying on
Medication

Medication is a key part of the mental health recovery process. It’s important that you take all of your medications, including INVEGA SUSTENNA^® (paliperidone palmitate), exactly as directed by your doctor—even if you’re feeling better. Stopping your medication may cause your symptoms to return.

You should also review all of your medications with your doctor or pharmacist on a regular basis. That way you can stay informed on how each medication works, and make sure all your medications work together.
Setting Goals
Setting goals can help you succeed at things that are important to you. Writing down your goals and breaking them down into manageable steps can also help you make progress. Consider both short- and long-term goals, and try to work to reach them.
- Short-term goals might be:
  - Taking medication as prescribed by your doctor
  - Keeping up with your laundry
  - Learning to cook something new
- Long-term goals might be:
  - Finding a job
  - Taking a class
  - Sticking to a long-term exercise plan
Looking After
Your Total Health

Along with taking all of your medications as directed, there are other things you can do to improve your total health. Make sure you get a physical examination at least once a year. Talk to your doctor about a sensible eating and exercise plan. And ask your Treatment Team for help with quitting unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, or other substance abuse. Establishing a daily routine can help you stay on track with your healthier lifestyle—and your overall treatment plan.
Creating a Strong
Recovery Team
Beyond your doctor and injection appointments, there may be other people and resources that can help support your recovery process. Some of these professional resources may include:
- Individual psychotherapy sessions
- Family-focused therapy
- Group therapy sessions
- Local community support programs
- Drug and alcohol treatment
To access local resources, talk to your Treatment Team and check out these websites:

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

American Psychiatric Association (APA)

Family Caregiver Alliance

Mental Health America

Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health
Getting the Support
You Need

There are times you’ll need support in the mental health recovery process, and it’s good to know that you’re not alone. The members of your Treatment Team will be there for you, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are also resources in your community and online that you can access when you need them.
Relapse Recognition
& Management

Learning to recognize the early signs of relapse—and alerting your doctor immediately—can be a very important part of participating in your treatment plan. Because symptoms of schizoaffective disorder can be triggered by events from everyday life, there is a chance that a relapse may occur—even when a person is taking his or her medicine correctly.

Gaining deeper insight into your condition can help you better understand your medication and recognize symptoms or signs of relapse—so you’ll know when to talk to your doctor and seek help. Remember, only your doctor can decide what course of treatment is right for you. For a list of early warning signs, click here.